Tuesday, 2nd July, 2013
Brazilian side Corinthians have confirmed the departure of Paulinho to Tottenham Hotspur, on a reported €20m deal, with the midfielder set to undergo his medical later this week.
Paulinho helped Brazil win the Confederations Cup title on Sunday and then held a press conference yesterday to announce his departure, a fact confirmed by a statement on Corinthians’ official site.
The 24-year-old was scheduled to take part in the Recopa Sudamericana – South America’s equivalent of the UEFA Super Cup – game against Sao Paulo this Wednesday, but that will no longer happen.
Instead, he is expected to travel to London to finalise the deal with Spurs, who have been in the hunt for the last few months.
relatedNewsStory
Chelsea and Real Madrid were the other clubs interested in the Brazilian star, who had been with Corinthians for the last three years.
But Spurs seem to have won out, even if the contract’s full details are yet to be officially confirmed.
The statement from Corinthians’ read: "After becoming the Confederations Cup champion with Brazil and being voted the third-best player of the tournament, [Paulinho] landed in Sao Paulo and on Monday afternoon gave a press conference announcing his farewell.
"Due to some contractual requirements from Tottenham, he will not face Sao Paulo in the Recopa Sudamericana."
And at the press conference, an emotional Paulinho vowed to one day return to the club that had clinched the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2011 and both the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup in 2012 during his time there.
He said: "It’s hard to say anything at a moment like this but those were three wonderful years in my career, with many titles.
"What I have to say to the Corinthians fans, the board and the staff is, ‘see you soon’. I will be back in no time, due to everything they have done for me.
"My individual titles are all thanks to the club and Corinthians will be in my heart for the rest of my life."
Like betting on football? You simply must check out Inside Bet!
