TThe Brazilian midfielder joined the Catalan club in a move that surprised the Blaugrana, but revealed years later that it all started with an unexpected comment from Lionel Messi.
Barra paid Guangzhou Evergrande 40 million euros for Paulinho, who was playing in the Chinese Super League at the time.
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His arrival caused doubts among fans, mainly due to the lack of knowledge regarding his performance in Asia. However, the Brazilian quickly adapted to Ernesto Valverde’s plans and became a useful piece in the team.
Messi was the key to Paulinho’s decision.
A few years later, Paulinho told the Chara podcast how his deal started to take shape. It all happened during a friendly match between Brazil and Argentina in Australia.
In the middle of the match, Messi approached him and asked him directly: “So…are you coming to Barça or not?”, but he did not respond. According to the Brazilian, he didn’t have time to process it.
His reaction was immediate and he accepted the possibility without hesitation, although at the time he did not believe the interest was genuine.
From suspicion to historic transfer
At first, Paulinho thought it was a joke. He even thought that Messi might be trying to distract him during the match. However, after the match, he decided to contact his agent to see if there were any negotiations.
A month later, the surprise became reality. The deal was done and I had to go to Barcelona to sign the contract.
This move marked a complete change of direction in his career, taking him from Chinese football to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
A short but successful period at Barça
Despite his good performance, Barcelona subsequently decided to loan him to Guangzhou Evergrande in a deal with a buyout obligation of $50 million.
This decision was taken for both sporting and financial reasons and capped a short but positive period for the midfielder.
Paulinho admits that his time at the Catalan club was one of the best experiences of his professional career.
