One of the biggest transfers of the European off-season so far has seen talented midfielder Paulinho swap Corinthians for Tottenham in a £17 million deal. The box-to-box man shone for Brazil in the Confederations Cup, and was one of the standout players for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s tournament-winning team.
Although the deal see one of the Brazil’s most exciting players leave home shores, the deal will be of benefit to the World Cup hosts come next summer. Brazil’s World Cup chances will depend largely on the form of their European based players, and Paulinho will be exposed to a higher standard of football on a weekly basis in the Premier League.
Initially the deal looks like an excellent move for all concerned. The player has an allegiance to Corinthians, and rightly so after the level of success that he has had with the club in recent years. Despite this, Paulinho has plateaued in his homeland, and is need of a greater challenge to progress as a player and become a real world-beater. His form in the Confederations Cup shows that he will have what it takes to play against top teams in England and Europe, and he will improve by competing against the best.
Tottenham have signed a player that can help them back into the top four, and will give the energy, combativeness and work-rate that has been missing in their midfield while Sandro has been injured. A central midfield pairing of the two Brazilians and Mousa Dembele promises to be as good as any in the land.
Corinthians will be disappointed to lose their prize asset, but accepted a lucrative financial offer to let him go. Brazilian football will miss one of their stars, but he will return to his homeland for the World Cup next summer as a better player, and will have what it takes to compete against the best midfields in the tournament, such as Spain and Germany.
Paulinho can be an integral player for club and country for many years to come, and his summer move will only help him to improve even further.
