Barcelona Announce Paulinho's Transfer from Guangzhou Evergrande for €40M

Barcelona confirmed the signing of Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho for €40 million (£36 million) on Monday.

The Blaugrana noted the deal was done and the amount paid in a statement on their official website.

"Paulinho will undergo a club medical on Thursday and the signing of the contract and the official presentation of the new Barcelona player will also take place on Thursday," the bulletin continued.

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OFFICIAL: Barcelona sign midfielder Paulinho for €40 million—he’ll be unveiled on Thursday pic.twitter.com/ZtbUj6wdPT

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 14, 2017"

The transfer is one that has shocked plenty in the football world, as the Brazilian's career appeared to be on a downward trajectory. 

In 2013 he signed for Tottenham Hotspur with a reputation as a rising star, although he failed to adapt to the Premier League and was moved on to Guangzhou as a result.

Since making the switch, the 29-year-old has impressed in the Chinese Super League, offering a forceful presence at the heart of the team's midfield. But his performances have not been to a standard that'd typically make Barcelona sit up and take note.

As noted by Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol, the deal sees Guangzhou actually make a significant amount of money on the player:

While Barcelona have made many curious signings in recent seasons, this one has been the cause of plenty of bemusement among Cules.

Paulinho is not a player who fits the club's classic mantras. In the past, the Blaugrana have built their midfields with technical and nimble footballers who can dominate the ball. Paulinho is proficient in those areas, although his game is about power, as he looks to win the ball back and drive forward.

Zhong Zhi/Getty Images

As noted by Ed Malyon of The Independent, it's also an area of the pitch in which Barcelona have quality already, especially in terms of young players:

There's a frustration brewing in the Barcelona fanbase, too. Not only have they lost a key man to PSG in Neymar, they are also a long way behind rivals Real Madrid at the moment; that was emphasised on Sunday as Los Blancos secured an impressive 3-1 win in the Super Cup at the Camp Nou.

Given the majority of supporters are underwhelmed by the capture of Paulinho, the mood is unlikely to brighten up in Catalonia any time soon.

The Brazilian will hope he can add some bite to a Barcelona midfield that was a little lightweight last season. However, you sense the criticism will come quickly if he doesn't get his Blaugrana career off to a fast start.