Guangzhou Evergrande’s Paulinho set to join Barcelona, says Chinese media
Barca will pay €40 million buy-out clause for 29-year-old to end his two-year spell in Chinese Super League
Brazil international and former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho will travel to Spain to complete a move to Barcelona today after the Catalan club activated the Guangzhou Evergrande player’s buy-out clause, Chinese media reported.
Barca, who need reinforcements after the world record transfer of Brazil forward Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain last week, will pay the €40 million (HK$369 million) for the 29-year-old to end his two-year spell in the Chinese Super League.
Barcelona were not immediately available to comment.
Paulinho had recently been linked with a move to the Spanish side but Guangzhou chairman Xu Jiayin had denied the former Corinthians midfielder would be sold before the end of the season after rejecting two previous bids.
Xu said the cost of replacing Paulinho, who signed a new deal this year, would make it impossible for Guangzhou to part with a player instrumental in their charge to the top of the table and run to the Asian Champions League quarter-finals.