Some transfer rumours are just a bit bizarre, let’s be honest here.

So when you see that ex-Tottenham flop Paulinho is being linked with a switch to none another than Barcelona, it would be easy to dismiss it as just another left-field tract of gossip.

However, it seems the Brazilian’s resurgence has been such that a potential move to the Catalans is more realistic than previously thought. It may not make the link any less surprising but Spurs fans could be left kicking themselves.

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Okay then, so why on earth are Barcelona interested in Paulinho?

The holding midfielder secured himself a Tottenham switch in 2013 after scooping the FIFA Club World Cup with Corinthians and the Confederations Cup with his nation. Nevertheless, he failed to impress in the Premier League.

In 2015, he was offloaded to Guangzhou Evergrande in a move that looked to put the brakes on his career and was dropped from the Brazilian national team.

The Chinese Super League has suited Paulinho well, though, and his spell in the Far East has harvested two league titles and the AFC Champions League. He has scored 25 goals in 88 appearances on an individual level.

So while Chinese football may not be the most competitive arena in the world, it has helped Paulinho return to the Brazilian frame and seen him viewed as a viable back up to Barca’s raid on Marco Verratti.

That being said, there is a lot that could go wrong for the 28-year-old with interest believed to be in its earliest stages still. However, the man himself is certainly not shying away from the topic.

The ex-Tottenham man openly admitted in an interview with Globo Esporte that Barcelona had made an approach – seemingly confirming earlier rumours.

Furthermore, Paulinho may have dropped another hint on Instagram that looks to, rather unsurprisingly, display his enthusiasm for a switch to the Nou Camp. Take a look at the screenshot below:

The picture above shows a doctored photo of the Brazilian in the famous colours of Barcelona, with the player himself appearing as the top liker. It’s fair to say he’s going out of his way to fuel the rumours.

In cases similar to this, the player will often unlike a photograph or delete their comment once the action is flagged by fans. Anomalously though, and perhaps strikingly, Paulinho hasn’t made the change in the two days since it was posted.

Nevertheless, it is simply a double tap on social media and Paulinho may just be lapping up the fact he is being linked with a move to such a big club.

Besides, with Guangzhou setting their asking price at €40 million and a move for Verratti still not completely out of the question, Paulinho shouldn’t get ahead of himself. It’s hard to see many Barca fans crying their eyes out if the deal collapses, after all.

Do you think Paulinho could cut it at Barcelona? Let us know by leaving a comment below.