Barcelona are reportedly weighing their options to sign Brazilian midfielder Paulinho from Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande. Newly appointed manager Ernesto Valverde is not completely happy with the current stock of midfielders and Barcelona hierarchy are ready to hand him complete freedom for the upcoming season.
Paulinho is currently one of the most highly rated Brazilian central midfielders. His first high-profile move was his move to Tottenham Hotspur from Corinthians in 2013. The 28-year-old failed to acclimatise to the English conditions and after spending only two sessions he was the subject of a move to the Chinese side.
His Brazilian career was thought to be over but he reinvented himself in the Far East and has established himself pretty comfortably in the Brazilian team. He was one of the first players to make a move to the super hyped Chinese League.
Despite his move to the Chinese club, the player hasn’t lost his touch and has scored a number of scorchers in the Chinese League. Guangzhou won back to back titles and are on the verge of a third one as they are four points clear at the top of the Chinese League table.
Barcelona have been trying to conjure a deal for Paris Saint-Germain star midfielder Marco Verratti but his valuation has somehow forced them to look for an alternate option and Paulinho seems to be a perfect match for their setup.
The 28-year-old has made his name as a combative box to box midfielder and has been in his best form since his move from Spurs. He reignited his career in a new way since his move to the Chinese club.
Barcelona are looking at possible candidates for the midfield section after the failure of Andre Gomes last season. The Portuguese midfielder had been awful for the Catalans and the Spanish giants have been in the transfer market for a while for the search of a suitable midfielder.
Ivan Rakitic has failed to create a difference in the middle of the pitch while Andres Iniesta is in the twilight of his career. However, their possibility of signing the Brazilian midfielder could face a stumbling block due to the recent strict regulations imposed by the Chinese football federation.
They have levied a 100% tax on all transfers so it could be difficult for the Chinese club to search a suitable replacement for him. Paulinho’s current contract runs until 2020 but a sizeable offer might make him reconsider his future.
