Barcelona's 10 most expensive signings

#9 Paulinho - €40m

Paulinho was a surprising - and expensive - signing for Barca

Fans of Tottenham Hotspur were utterly gobsmacked in the summer of 2017 when it was announced that Barcelona had paid a massive €40m to bring Brazilian midfielder Paulinho to the Nou Camp from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande. After all, Spurs fans remembered him largely as a flop who failed to live up to his £17m price tag and was sold to Guangzhou after just 2 seasons in the Premier League.

Quite why Barca chose to sign the Brazilian was anyone’s guess; he’d performed well for Guangzhou over his 3 years there, but judging a player based on their form in a far lower-level league like the Chinese Super League was always going to be a major risk.

As it was, Paulinho proved to be a decent signing for the Catalan giants. The Brazilian appeared in 49 games across all competitions including 34 league games, scored 9 goals and received praise for his performances as Barca ended up winning both La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Strangely enough though, the Brazilian ended up moving back to Guangzhou on loan in the summer of 2018, and then made the move permanent – for a fee of €42m – a couple of weeks ago, meaning he only completed one season at the Nou Camp.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Vikshith R