Paqueta is a tiny island in Rio de Janeiro's bay. It is so quaint that there are no cars on the island -- but one of its products has a career that is now moving at jet pace.
Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima is known as Lucas Paqueta, in honour of his birthplace. As recently as April of last year he was rarely even winning a place on the substitutes bench with Rio de Janeiro giant Flamengo. Soon afterwards, when the club was negotiating with Valencia for the services of goalkeeper Diego Alves, he was offered as a makeweight, on a loan deal with an option for the Spanish club to pay him if they wanted -- at a price that was a fraction of the reported fee of over €35 million that AC Milan are currently negotiating.
The talk in Milan is of a new Kaka, for understandable reasons. Though Paqueta is left footed, and may not possess quite the same surge in possession that was so characteristic of Kaka's game, there are similarities. Just like Kaka, Paqueta is tall, elegant and talented. And, at 21 years, he has already forced his way into the Brazil squad, and made his international debut last month -- indeed, he was placed on standby for the World Cup in Russia.