|
Barcelona's bid for Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho has been turned down, according to reports. Reports suggest Barca's offer for the Brazil international, who joined the Chinese Super League from Tottenham two years ago for €14 million, was in the region of €20m. Barca are scouring the market for a new midfield player this summer, with Marco Verratti and Dani Ceballos also targets, and Paulinho first confirmed in June that he had held talks with the Catalan club. However, Chinese media quoted an insider at Guangzhou Evergrande, making it clear the 28-year-old is not for sale: "Paulinho only signed a contract renewal in January 2017 and is an important part of the club's long-term future. "For that reason, the club has formally rejected Barcelona's offer for him. We want to express our gratitude to Barcelona for holding him in such high esteem, but we don't have any plans to sell." Paulinho himself had placed doubts over a move to the Camp Nou, suggesting that he would be happy to remain in China playing regular football ahead of next summer's World Cup in Russia. "When you're in a situation like the one I'm in, it's difficult to make a decision," he said "There are a lot of things that I have to weigh up, one of them being my happiness. "I think, first of all, the way things are with my partner here in China... We really like where we are, the people, how things are with the club, the success. The truth is that I don't know [what to do]." Barca are not having much success elsewhere, either, with Diario Sport reporting that the club have admitted it will be almost impossible to land Paris Saint-Germain's Verratti this summer. Real Betis' Ceballos, who is also wanted by Real Madrid, has said he will speak about his future in the coming weeks.
|
