Andre Villas-Boas made his first foray into the summer transfer market late last week by recruiting midfielder Paulinho from Brazilian club Corinthians. A long-term target of the north London side, the 24-year-old arrives for a reported fee of £17m, with Spurs allegedly beating off the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan in the race for his signature:
After finally sealing the switch to White Hart Lane, Paulinho spoke of his relief during an interview with the club’s official website on Saturday afternoon:
“First, I want to thank Tottenham for believing in me. I am very happy and excited to have joined Spurs. It’s a huge pleasure for my career to be at a club as big as Tottenham. I know it will be a huge challenge but I think I can help all my colleagues to succeed and give a lot of happiness to the supporters.”
The History
A product of the Pão de Açúcar youth academy in his native Brazil, Paulinho’s failure to establish himself as a first-team pick resulted in a move to Latvian outfit FC Vilnius back in 2006. Having notched five times in 38 appearances over a couple of seasons, he was snapped up by Polish club LKS Lodz but returned to his homeland after a season of controversy – mainly fielded as a right-back, he was often subjected to racist abuse and re-joined his first club in 2008.
Back at Pão de Açúcar, Paulinho racked up eight goals in 39 appearances but once again failed to convince the club of his worth and was sold to Brazilian second division side Bragantino after a single season. Six strikes in 28 matches persuaded Corinthians to splash the cash in 2010 and afforded the midfielder a chance to finally settle; while four goals and an assist in 27 games hints at a tentative opening year, he followed that up with 16 goals and 12 assists in 59 matches before Villas-Boas made his move.
On the international stage, Paulinho has notched five times in 17 matches for Brazil and with two goals in four appearances in the recent Confederations Cup tournament, he was named third best player in the competition behind Neymar and Andres Iniesta.
The Prospects
Although he’s been billed as “a box-to-box” midfielder, Paulinho will bring more than mere industry to the Tottenham engine room. His driving runs from deep and ball-winning abilities in the centre of the park are allied with plenty creative endeavour and with a keen eye for goal; his addition to a central midfield that already possesses Sandro and Mousa Dembele looks a significant move from Villas-Boas.
Having utilised a 4-2-3-1 for most of last season, Spurs may now be primed for a switch to Villas-Boas’ preferred 4-3-3 formation next time round – a scenario that may well have implications from a Fantasy perspective. While a role in “the hole” allowed Gareth Bale to excel in a central spot in 2012/13, the Welshman would surely be forced back onto the flank in such a system, with the Spurs boss relying on the dynamism of Paulinho, Sandro and Dembele to break up opponents’ attacks and hit quickly on the counter.
With the likes of Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker linked with moves away, it’s clear Villas-Boas plans to bolster his first-team options – it may well transpire that 4-3-3 becomes the default, then, with a switch to 4-2-3-1 more a “Plan B” when a tactical rethink is required mid-match. Certainly, having been acquired for a club-record fee, Paulinho looks key to Villas-Boas’ approach next time out – his attacking sensibilities make the new man one to watch if he’s fielded as the most advanced of the middle three but it’s his possible impact on Bale’s starting position (and subsequent Fantasy points potential) that may well be the most crucial aspect of his acquisition.
Intriguingly, Paulinho’s ever-improving eye for goal has recently led former Argentina legend Juan Roman Riquelme to suggest he’s more than similar to a certain Frank Lampard. The Spurs new boy went on to admit:
“This comparison is a responsibility I will take, I will not run away from it. Lampard is a great player not only for Chelsea but world football. I intend to follow in his footsteps as he is a very professional guy. David Luiz always speaks of him on international duty. I’ve always looked at what Lampard does and, to me, he is a phenomenon – the way he hits the ball, what positions he takes up. He really is incredible.”
Expected to come in around the mid-price mark in Fantasy games – a cost of 7.5 seems likely – Paulinho’s progress will be keenly watched over Tottenham’s pre-season schedule. With Swansea, Norwich, West Ham and Hull rolling up to the Lane by Gameweek 9, in addition to trips to Palace, Cardiff and Villa, Spurs have the platform to hit the ground running as Villas-Boas looks to improve upon last season’s fifth place finish. While Bale will no doubt garner the pre-season attention, the new boy also has the class to prove a canny acquisition for Spurs and Fantasy managers alike.
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