White Hart Lane side clinch deal to snap up Corinthians star.
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Tottenham have completed the signing or Corinthians midfielder Paulinho for a reported £17million, according to the BBC.
Andre Villas-Boas has been a huge fan of Paulinho over the past couple of weeks following his impressive performances at the recent Confederations Cup in his home nation of Brazil. The midfielder flew over this week for contract discussions and a medical, which the Brazilian internation passed with flying colours and has signed a long-term contract.
The 24-year old midfielder was also a reported target for Chelsea and Real Madrid this summer, but it is Spurs who have won the battle for Paulinho. Retooling their squad to mount a challenge for Champions League football this term, Spurs hope that by securing the Brazilian, it will help persuade star man Gareth Bale to remain at White Hart Lane, amid interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Coming to the forefront of international football through playing for relatively unknown teams such as FC Vilinus and LKS Lodz, Paulinho’s long and arduous journey leads him to the Premier League with Tottenham, where he will be playing against some of the World’s finest, against the best standard of football.
Chelsea identified Vitesse midfielder Marco van Ginkel as a better option to the pricey Paulinho this summer, and confirmed his signing yesterday for a fee of £8million. Real Madrid were too once interested in Paulinho, are now looking at impressive Sevilla youngster Geoffrey Kondogbia as a midfield option, as well as Real Sociedad’s Asier Illarramendi.