By Mark Baber
June 30 – As the centre of gravity of the world’s economy shifts toward the Asia-Pacific region, the signing of Tottenham midfielder Paulinho for £9.8 million, in the wake of the country’s leadership putting its weight behind the development of football, looks like a statement of intent from the Chinese club football.
Guangzhou Evergrande, from the booming Guangdong province in South China, announced on its web site, “Guangzhou Hengda Football Club officially announce from Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur that midfielder, Brazilian player Jose Paolo Bethesda La Maher Junior, ie Paulinho, was formally signed, for the transfer fee of €14m (£9.8m), for four years.”
Paulinho is just 26 years old and joined Tottenham for £17 million from Corinthians two years ago. His move to China sees him rejoin ex-Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari as the club, currently in third place, look to extend their Chinese Super League winning streak to a fifth season in a row.
Although Paulinho made little impact in the Barclays Premier League, Paulinho has 32 caps for Brazil and certainly represents a significant addition to the Southern China Tigers’ squad.
Guangzhou Evergrande have owners with very deep pockets in the Evergrande Real Estate Group and e-commerce company the Alibaba Group, and currently have an annual revenue of €54 million.
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