Barcelona plan shock transfer to bring Paulinho back to Europe

Barcelona are planning to bring Paulinho back from exile in China

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It is a common notion that players go to China to sit on a pile of money and deliver bad performances. But it was not the case in the curious tale of Paulinho.

Paulinho started off as one of the brightest young prospects in Brazil. Paulinho was a player who could inject energy into the ageing Brazil midfield. That’s what he was doing, until a move to the Premier League enticed him.

Paulinho moved form Corinthians to Spurs in the summer of 2013. But there came the seemingly end of his career at the top. He became infamous among the fans for his consistently poor performances and earned the nickname, ‘The Tottenham Flop’.

Then, he did what all bad performers do, move to China. But instead of ‘promoting Chinese football’ for huge amounts of money, Paulinho rejuvenated his career under veteran coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Now, he is a regular for both club and nation. He is a proficient passer of the ball, his physicality helps the side immensely and his long shots are accurate.

The possible move

That is why Barcelona have expressed interest in him. It is a big surprise for a club like Barca to be interested in a player plying his trade in a substandard league, but it is not absolutely unrealistic due to his recent form.

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"Paulinho himself has admitted Barcelona’s interest. He said, “There are a lot of things that I have to weigh up to take a decision, one of them being my happiness. I think, first of all, the way things are with my partner here in China… We really like where we are, the people, how things are with the club, the success… The truth is that I don’t know. On the other hand, I’m really proud that a great club like Barcelona are interested in my situation. That doesn’t have a price.I don’t have a window to give an answer. They spoke directly with my agent. Since there’s been an offer and talks, they’ve been in contact with him on a daily basis. There’s no window to say yes or no, given Barcelona still need to negotiate with Guangzhou. However, the final decision will be taken by me.I hope to speak with Giuliano, my agent. It’s better for all parties if we decide on our stance as soon as possible. If I stay, Barcelona would have other options and if I left, Guangzhou would have the chance to look for another signing,”But Luiz Felipe Scolari is reluctant to let go of his star playmaker. He said, “His release clause is €40 million. and none of the Chinese clubs will let their key players go because it would be difficult and expensive to find a replacement due to the new rules.”"

The difficulties

On behalf of the club, Scolari has already expressed his opinion (which is shared by the club). Paulinho is valued at €25 million in the transfer market. But Guangzhou Evergrande want his release clause, which is set at €40 million.

It is not possible for the club to shell out such a tremendous amount for a 29-year old. But Paulinho’s active involvement in the deal can reduce the figure significantly to a more acceptable €25 million.

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But there is also an issue of time. Raul Sanllehi has spoken with Paulinho’s agents in Sao Paulo. But Robert Fernandez has not yet submitted an official bid to Evergrande. There is not much time for negotiations as the Chinese transfer window closes on the 14th of July. According to Sport, Barcelona will offer to play a friendly in China as part of the deal.