Barcelona are reportedly set to complete the signing of Paulinho from Guangzhou Evergrande in a €40 million deal.
According to a report in Daily Mail, Barcelona are set to complete their second signing of the summer. Brazilian midfielder Paulinho will arrive at Camp Nou, with the Catalan club reaching an agreement with Guangzhou over a €40 million deal.
Paulinho has found a new lease of life ever since he left Tottenham to join the Chinese Super League club in 2015. The player’s time at White Hart Lane was blighted with inconsistencies as he blew hot and cold before eventually becoming a bit-part player following the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino.
At Guanzhou though, the Brazilian midfielder has managed a complete turnaround in his career, having been an instrumental figure in his side’s back-to-back league triumphs. This season, Paulinho has continued performing strongly, bagging 11 goals and 4 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions.
Ernesto Valverde: “I have a feeling that Paulinho will not be playing tomorrow night against Madrid.” pic.twitter.com/Bi8fO0o5hd
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) August 12, 2017
His exploits have also helped the player force his way back into international reckoning with Brazil. But, perhaps surprisingly, the 29-year-old has attracted interest from one of the biggest clubs in the world – Barcelona.
The Spanish giants have stuttered in their pursuit of their primary targets this summer, and Neymar’s departure to PSG has worsened the situation at Camp Nou. But while Ernesto Valverde is now seeking reinforcement in attack as well, midfield has remained his top priority for months.
Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes struggled to adapt to the challenges at Camp Nou in their debut campaigns for Barcelona, while Ivan Rakitic endured a significant dip in form too. The trio’s inconsistencies leaves Valverde with just Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets as his only other recognised options.
While a deal for Philippe Coutinho is reportedly on the cards too, the Barcelona boss seems to be close to securing the services of compatriot, Paulinho as well. The tenacious box-to-box midfielder can potentially be a huge asset at Camp Nou with his tenacity and eye for goal.
And at 29, he will provide his best years to the club. The Blaugrana are, thus, set to shell out €40 million to sign the player after their previous offers were rejected by Guangzhou. It now remains to be seen if Paulinho can continue his resurgence at Camp Nou to help Barcelona to much success as well.