The Brazilian midfielder joined the Catalan club in a move that surprised the Blaugrana, but years later he revealed that it all started with an unexpected comment from Lionel Messi.
Barça paid 40 million euros to Guangzhou Evergrande to secure the services of Paulinho, who at the time was playing in the Chinese Super League.
His arrival generated doubts among the fans, mainly because of the lack of knowledge about his performance in Asia. However, the Brazilian quickly adapted to Ernesto Valverde’s scheme, becoming a useful piece within the team.
Messi was key in Paulinho’s decision
Years later, Paulinho told the podcast Charla how his signing began 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 threw a direct phrase that left him without reaction: “So… are you coming to Barca or not?” According to the Brazilian, he did not have time to process it.
His response was immediate: he accepted the possibility without hesitation, although at the time he did not believe that the interest was real.
From doubt to a historic transfer
Initially, Paulinho thought it was a joke. He even considered that Messi was trying to distract him in the match. However, after the match he decided to contact his agent to confirm if there was any negotiation.
A month later, the surprise became a reality: the deal was done and he had to travel to Barcelona to sign his contract.
The move marked a complete turnaround in his career, going from Chinese football to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
A brief but successful spell at Barca
Despite his good performance, Barcelona later decided to loan him to Guangzhou Evergrande, in a deal with an obligation to buy for €50 million.
The decision was made for both sporting and economic reasons, thus closing a short but positive spell for the midfielder.
Paulinho has acknowledged that his time at the Catalan club was one of the best experiences of his professional career.
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