Paulinho signs for Spurs!

[Beni]

Can't believe people's thinking on here that signing Paulinho goes hand in hand with us not able to concentrate on other players and positions as priority.

In my opinion Paulinho is a key signing, in a position we needed to fill. Last season our performances dropped when Sandro was injured, and having to rely on Parker week in week out. They also were impacted when Dembele had to play through injury.
Paulinho isn't coming to replace Dembele or Sandro but to play alongside them. He will add goals to our team from midfield which we have severely been lacking, but also add depth to our squad where he could fill in for injuries to Dembele and Sandro by having that adaptability.

 

[Riandor]

Can't believe people's thinking on here that signing Paulinho goes hand in hand with us not able to concentrate on other players and positions as priority.

In my opinion Paulinho is a key signing, in a position we needed to fill. Last season our performances dropped when Sandro was injured, and having to rely on Parker week in week out. They also were impacted when Dembele had to play through injury.
Paulinho isn't coming to replace Dembele or Sandro but to play alongside them. He will add goals to our team from midfield which we have severely been lacking, but also add depth to our squad where he could fill in for injuries to Dembele and Sandro by having that adaptability.

Totally... He will be the beginning, but not the end of our spending either.
He will hardly cost the world, we are likely to recoup plenty on player sales and we know that we are already very far in negotiations with Villa and possibly one or two others according to ITK.

No way is the Paulinho affair going to hamper anything unless it goes belly up last minute and needs extra effort... But this is the whole reason we have Baldini in now, to have capacity to handle with these things

 

[archiewasking]

Already pm'd him to say I'm on my phone and didn't mean to hit dislike. Will remove when I get on my laptop later.

That must be a pretty big keyboard.

 

[Don_Felipe]

Ok, Guardian seems to think Ancelotti might want to stick a bid in for Real Madrid: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jun/25/carlo-ancelotti-real-madrid-premier-league

All mights and maybes though...

 

[raf18]

The Brazilian press are quoting the English press as their source for the Paulinho quotes... slightly worrying seeing as they seemed to have come from nowhere.

 

[Harry_Snatch]

Ok, Guardian seems to think Ancelotti might want to stick a bid in for Real Madrid: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jun/25/carlo-ancelotti-real-madrid-premier-league

All mights and maybes though...

It's almost like journalists are starting to realise that a potentially world class midfielder is going to Spurs in the prime of his career. Surely they can dig up a bigger club to gazump us from somewhere.

I'm just starting to realise myself that this guy is a lynchpin in one of the best Brazil sides in recent years. There is a very decent chance that we might have 2 world cup winners in our squad by the end of next season.

 

[Beni]

That must be a pretty big keyboard.

Has to be with with my fat fingers

 

[carpediem991]

It's almost like journalists are starting to realise that a potentially world class midfielder is going to Spurs in the prime of his career. Surely they can dig up a bigger club to gazump us from somewhere.

I'm just starting to realise myself that this guy is a lynchpin in one of the best Brazil sides in recent years. There is a very decent chance that we might have 2 world cup winners in our squad by the end of next season.

Villa and Soldado?

 

[beats1]

Ok, Guardian seems to think Ancelotti might want to stick a bid in for Real Madrid: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jun/25/carlo-ancelotti-real-madrid-premier-league

All mights and maybes though...

I doubt it as Madrid have been after Gundogan and they say reached a agreement with Dortmund to come next season if Lewandoski leaves this season

 

[beats1]

His club want him to stay and play 2 more games - second is on 17th July.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/times/corinthians/noticia/2013/06/timao-negocia-com-o-tottenham-para-ter-paulinho-na-recopa.html

It says that the decision is ultimately ours. They will try to persuade us to let him play 2 more games rather than take him immediately after tournament.

They said the same thing about Neymar but in the end it didn't happen

 

[GetSpurredOn]

Can't believe people's thinking on here that signing Paulinho goes hand in hand with us not able to concentrate on other players and positions as priority.

In my opinion Paulinho is a key signing, in a position we needed to fill. Last season our performances dropped when Sandro was injured, and having to rely on Parker week in week out. They also were impacted when Dembele had to play through injury.
Paulinho isn't coming to replace Dembele or Sandro but to play alongside them. He will add goals to our team from midfield which we have severely been lacking, but also add depth to our squad where he could fill in for injuries to Dembele and Sandro by having that adaptability.

Agree.

Totally... He will be the beginning, but not the end of our spending either.
He will hardly cost the world, we are likely to recoup plenty on player sales and we know that we are already very far in negotiations with Villa and possibly one or two others according to ITK.

No way is the Paulinho affair going to hamper anything unless it goes belly up last minute and needs extra effort... But this is the whole reason we have Baldini in now, to have capacity to handle with these things

And agree.

I think landing Paulinho will be a big statement of intent for us as a club. Any other potential targets will see we are genuinely looking to improve on the wealth of talent we already have.
Realistically, what forward wouldn't want to at infront of a midfield trio of Sandro, Paulinho and Dembele, with Bale creating havoc out wide.

 

[Don_Felipe]

If you are Spurs and you can land a player like Paulinho, you should do so.

More options, deeper squad, and I'm drooling at thinking about a midfield three of Sandro, Paulinho and Dembele....


Of course, he could just be the next Kleberson

 

[TheWaddler]

Villa and Soldado?

Huddlestone and Def... Nah.

 

[Sandro30]

http://www.vavel.com/en/football/pr...en.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

In a flurry of Brazilian players linked to Tottenham this transfer window, Paulinho seems the most sought after. The in-demand central midfielder claims to have an offer from Spurs, but is weighing up all offers recieved. For Tottenham, acquiring the Brazilian's signature would be massive for them. In what is an ambitious transfer as Spurs target to break into the Top 4, Paulinho would slot right into the Spurs XI.

Firstly, fellow Brazilian, Sandro, could be his partner in the heart of Spurs' midfield. The two could form an excellent bond for club and country. 'Opposites attract' as the saying goes, which fits both Brazilians perfectly. Paulinho is the more dynamic player out of the duo. Predominantly a box to box midfielder, but is a standard above the majority in his role. Paulinho has an end product. Paulinho's contribution in his sides build up play is signifcant; whether he is assisting his team-mates or putting the ball in the back of the net himself. Although, work rate is the key asset to succeed in that position. Paulinho has that in abundance. Paulinho is willing to burst his lungs to ensure he is aiding his team mates when attacking or defending. Yet, he does not run around the field like a headless chicken. Paulinho is effective at what he does and has the potential to become one of the world's best in his role. The only player similar to Paulinho at Spurs it Scott Parker, so the upgrade in talent and quality is evident for all to see.

Also, Sandro partnering Paulinho allows the latter the licence to roam and more freedom. The enforcing Sandro will be the unpraised hero in this double pivot partnership. As always, Sandro will be responsible breaking up the opposition's attacks, intercepting and retaining ball possession. As we have seen with similar anchormen, their dirty work allows the better players on the pitch to get their rhythm going.

Next season, Spurs are likely to stick to their guns and continue lining up using the 4-2-3-1 formation. One of the most modern formations currently in football. With Sandro and potentially Paulinho being the double pivots comes pressure. In the heart of the Spurs XI, both will need to work for eachother, but most importantly, the team. Both players will need to have good communication and be on the same wavelength. Understanding how one another plays could be make or break for Spurs. Paulinho's bursting runs forward means that he will leave space behind him in the process. Sandro will need to cover the space behind him ensuring whenever the opposition are on the break. However, one cannot expect Sandro to do the graft solo. Paulinho cannot afford to drift out of position or get too advanced, despite his work rate. The better sides that Tottenham face, and if this problem was to arise, those better sides would exploit of the space and be much more threatening when attempting to hit Spurs on the break.


Another interesting factor of this debate is Moussa Dembele. If Paulinho was to arrive, it has left many football fans sceptical as to where the Belgian would be plying his trade, be that Spurs or elsewhere. Versatality is a beautiful aspect of the Belgian's game. He is better suited to a deeper lying role, but his eagerness to get forward and attacking mindset allow Dembele to be utilised further afield, much to Spurs' advantage. As he has shown before, Dembele looks confident when playing as an attacking midfielder. His drive and determination on the ball, mixed with his strength, skill and stamina mean that Tottenham purchasing Paulinho saves the purchasing an attacking midfielder, as they could use Dembele there, if need be. I for one would like to see Dembele the more advanced midfielder out of the three, but it is to be seen whether AVB would want to use one of his star men in a position which is not his natural.

What makes this transfer more appealing for Spurs' fans is that Paulinho has played alongside Luis Guztavo, who is a similar player to Tottenham's Sandro. The partnership that Scolari has formed using these two midfield men has worked to good effect. Both compliment each other's style, which can be seen in action in the current Confederations Cup.

I do feel confident that Paulinho would succeed at Spurs, if his eagerly anticipated arrival was to happen. The high tempo and velocity of the Premier League would be of little hassle for Paulinho, as the top division in his native Brazil is place at a fast pace. Internationally, it is also something Paulinho is more than used too. All players need time to adjust their game, but the box to box midfielder would quickly settle into the speed of the English game.

As many Premier League followers know, Andre Villas Boas structures his teams with an attacking approach. The transfer of Corinthians midfielder Paulinho would be ideal. Few adjustments would be needed to be made, whilst acquiring one of the sought after Brazilians in world football.

In theory, Paulinho could be a wonderful, yet instrumental addition to the Spurs team aspiring for Champions League football and future success.

 

[Jonno1977]

I do wonder if signing him would be to do with the uncertainty over Sandro's return date, and the ongoing issue with Dembele's hip. If for example Sandro doesn't return until October and We decide Dembele needs to have an operation that might put him out for say three months then signing him becomes very important! I really don't think we could cope for two to three months at the beginning of the season with Parker, Hudd, Livermore, or Holtby in centre midfield.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

It's a nicely positive article, but I am surprised the writer thinks we will stick to a 4231. Although we may sometimes play it I would be very surprised is AVB wasn't planning to move to his fav 433 next season.

 

[Don_Felipe]

Just noticed that he played in Lithuania and Poland before.... didn't expect that - might make it easier to settle?

 

[Snarfalicious]

While a bit off-topic, I was really expecting Dembele to opt for surgery right as the season concluded. For most hip problems (assuming it's of the labrum variety given it's propensity to nag him over a couple of seasons now) it requires arthroscopic surgery to correct and then rehab. The timetable is generally 2-3 months of recovery/rehab depending on the severity. Given the fact that he played through it, I'm guessing his would be on the lower end.

That being said, had he elected to do that, we would have been fine with Paulinho in the time being and when Dembele came back we would know he was 100% recovered and ready to roll.

But, I believe an ITK mentioned that he took the therapy (non-surgery) route which kind of worries me that it could pop back up again in the middle of the season as the wear and tear takes its toll.

 

[BunionBoy]

Jason Burt just confirmed Paulinho quotes yesterday were genuine.

 

[mark87]

Just noticed that he played in Lithuania and Poland before.... didn't expect that - might make it easier to settle?

I'd say so, experience of unfamiliar surroundings and the physical side of football, something he'll need to get used to in the PL.