Tottenham Hotspur have finally kick-started the process of moving on some higher-earning fringe players by sanctioning Paulinho’s £9.9m sale to Guangzhou Evergrande.
The midfielder has signed a four-year contract, almost doubling the £55,000 a week he commanded at White Hart Lane, after a disappointing two seasons in the Premier League.
The former Corinthians player, who has 32 caps for Brazil and cost Spurs almost £17m, will join his former national team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, at the Chinese Super League club and will line up alongside his compatriots Ricardo Goulart, Elkeson and Alan.
Paulinho made 30 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side last season but generally underwhelmed. He was one of a number of high-profile signings made ahead of Gareth Bale’s record sale to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, of whom only Christian Eriksen and, possibly, Nacer Chadli have proved consistently successful, with other departures set to follow.
The French midfielder Étienne Capoue is in discussions with newly promoted Watford – who had also coveted Paulinho – over a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent, while Tottenham are inviting offers for Vlad Chiriches and Roberto Soldado, who were also part of that summer’s recruitment drive.
Emmanuel Adebayor, Younes Kaboul, Aaron Lennon and Benjamin Stambouli are also available for transfer, though Andros Townsend will most likely remain at the club despite enduring a bit-part role last term.
