Regained confidence while in China, says Barca midfielder Paulinho

Brazilian midfielder Paulinho on Thursday said he was joining Barcelona after regaining confidence in his game during his stint with Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.

Paulinho signed a four-year contract with Barcelona that included a buy-out clause worth up to 120 million euros ($140.55 million) before addressing a press conference, reports Efe.

The 28-year-old Paulinho said that during his second season at Tottenham Hotspur, things did not go as he wanted, but he decided to accept the challenge Chinese soccer presented and won several titles in the Asian country.

After two years at Tottenham, Paulinho joined Guangzhou in 2015, with which he won two Chinese Super League titles, two Super Cup crowns and one local Cup, as well as one AFC Champions League trophy.

With all those titles, he admitted hesitating at first to join Barça, but he decided to do so as he could not refuse the Spanish club's offer.

The 41-time capped Paulinho was officially introduced to fans at Camp Nou stadium, where he played with some kids from Barça's youth academy.

--IANS

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