NEWCASTLE UNITED have reportedly been knocked back in their pursuit to sign Brazilian star Lucas Paqueta.
The Brazilian midfielder is under contract at Lyon until 2025 but the French side are willing to cash in now.
Newcastle were allegedly keen on bringing him to the Premier League.
And Toon even offered the 24-year-old a whopping £180,000-a-week wage package to secure his services.
However, Foot Mercato claims that Paqueta has rejected a switch to Newcastle.
This latest report states that he is happy to stay at Lyon instead and will only consider leaving if a bigger club comes in for him.
Newcastle remain deep in the relegation mire after recording just one win all season.
Eddie Howe is desperate to strengthen his squad but will now have to look elsewhere for his midfield options.
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Paqueta arrived at Lyon from AC Milan in September 2020.
After struggling in Italy, he is now hitting top form in the French top-flight.
The ace has scored seven times for his club this term and produced four assists.
Paqueta hit the headlines back in September when he was booked for attempting a rainbow flick in a match against Troyes.
With Lyon leading 3-1, Paqueta flicked the ball over his opponent in the last minute.
The referee quickly intervened to stop play before brandishing a yellow card to Paqueta – who was in utter disbelief at the punishment.
Laws in French football say a player may receive a yellow card for doing something that ridicules a rival.
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