It looks as though the Paulinho to Barcelona circus has finally come to an end with Guangzhou Evergrande claiming they will not allow the Brazilian to leave. Phew.
Paulinho was reported as saying only yesterday that he was hopeful he could seal a switch to Camp Nou before the Chinese transfer window slams shut on Friday.
However, Xu, Jiayin the club's chairman has now insisted the club will not let him depart, midway through their season, with the Guangzhou currently top of the table.
“We need to not only consider the financial account of the corporation, but also the specific situation of our current campaign," he said, according to Goal.