Newcastle have decided they want to buy ‘brilliant’ £20.5m player who is like Paqueta

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In the summer of 2022, Newcastle United fans were dreaming of Lucas Paqueta joining Bruno Guimaraes at St James’ Park.

That did not happen, with the Magpies missing out to West Ham. 12 months later and Eddie Howe’s side are being linked with a move for the man who is dubbed ‘the next Lucas Paqueta’.

Newcastle have targeted multiple Brazilian youngsters over the past year, but have missed out on signing the likes of Andrey Santos and Angelo Gabriel, who have both gone to Chelsea.

Now Dan Ashworth has another South American sensation on his radar, with a report in Brazil claiming that Newcastle are interested in Victor Hugo.

Newcastle interested in Flamengo ace Victor Hugo

According to Bolavip, Newcastle have decided that they want to sign Victor Hugo from Flamengo.

The report states that the Magpies’ opening offer is expected to be worth around £20.5million, with Bruno Guimaraes influencing Newcastle’s decision to move for another Brazilian.

Bolavip add that it is unclear whether or not that will be enough for Flamengo to sell the 19-year-old, who has played 26 times for Jorge Sampaoli’s side this year.

Who is Newcastle’s latest Brazilian target?

Victor Hugo is a 19-year-old midfielder who plays for Flamengo. He made his professional debut in May last year at the age of 17, and has won two trophies with the Brazilian side.

He is teammates with Matheus Franca, who is another young star that Newcastle have been linked with signing.

Hugo started his career as an attacking midfielder, but now operates in a deeper role. That could make him appealing to the Magpies, who traditionally use a 4-3-3 formation without an attacking midfielder.

The teenager has been praised for his ability to read the game, while he also has a good passing range. Described as ‘brilliant‘ by former manager Dorival Junior, Hugo is being likened to one of Flamengo’s greatest players.

In a 2022 article by Goal, Hugo was compared to West Ham midfielder Paqueta because of his ‘versatility and creative mindset’.

If he can prove to be as good as Paqueta in the future then he will be a wonderful addition, and it would certainly make up for Newcastle missing out on the real thing last year.