Lionel Messi has drawn up a short-list of four stars that he wants Barcelona to sign as a replacement for Paulinho should the player end up sealing a €50M move away from the club.
Diario Gol are stating that the Blaugrana have received a €50M offer from Guangzhou Evergrande for Brazilian star Paulinho, and that Messi, along with his teammates, have given the go-ahead for the player to leave.
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The news outlet are also stating that the Argentine superstar has drawn up a short-list of players he wants the club to move for should Paulinho leave, with this list containing: Christian Eriksen, Paul Pogba, Miralem Pjanic and Marco Verratti.
Despite being a shock when the club first announced his signing, Paulinho has slowly and quietly managed to win over a number of Blaugrana fans with his performances.
The former Spurs midfielder had a great first half of the season for Barca, as he managed to bag a number of goals to help the club establish an early and dominant lead over rivals Real Madrid.
In total, the 29-year-old managed to clock up nine goals and three assists in 34 league appearances, as he helped the club re-claim the La Liga title back off rivals Los Blancos.
If Paulinho does end up leaving, it seems as if the club won’t be short of replacement options for the Brazilian international thanks to some fine help from Messi. He seriously is Mr Barcelona.