How Lionel Messi Secretly Orchestrated Barcelona's Most Bizarre Transfer Deal
Lionel Messi stands as Barcelona's most legendary player ever, yet his impact reached beyond the field, where he wielded considerable influence in the club's transfer dealings. Former Brazil international Paulinho can certainly attest to this.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder departed European football for China in 2015, signing with Guangzhou FC in what seemed like his farewell from top-level competition. Two years afterward, Barcelona approached him, and Paulinho recently shared an amusing conversation with Messi that helped secure his transfer to Catalonia.
"Messi approached me," Paulinho explained, according to MARCA. "We [Brazil] were facing Argentina in a friendly match in Australia. The official had just called a foul and I was positioned beside the ball with Willian.
"All of a sudden, Leo [Messi] walked over, looked directly into my eyes and asked, 'So … are we heading to Barcelona or what?' Just like that, nothing more, without any context.
"He spun around and walked away, I didn't even get a chance to process it, I simply responded, 'If you're willing to bring me, I'll come.' I was competing in China at that time, and nobody believed Barcelona had any interest in me. I assumed Messi was kidding or attempting to mess with me during the match. But since it was just a friendly, I began to wonder.
"So following the game I contacted my representative and said, 'Boss, for heaven's sake, I'm losing my mind, confirm if this is genuine.' I was so frantic that I even considered asking Neymar to check if he had any information. A month afterward, my agent phoned me and announced, 'The agreement is finalized, you need to travel to Barcelona to complete the paperwork.'"
The friendly match Paulinho mentions occurred in June 2017 and the Brazilian made his Barcelona first appearance two months following, strengthening a Blaugrana squad that had recently lost both Neymar and coach Luis Enrique.
How Did Paulinho Perform At Barcelona?
How Did Paulinho Perform At Barcelona?
Paulinho's statistics for Barcelona
Barcelona invested €40 million ($47 million) to acquire Paulinho before the 2017–18 campaign. While he wasn't the typical Barça midfielder, he brought physical presence to a midfield area featuring players like Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić and Andrés Iniesta.
Most anticipated he would serve mainly as a substitute, but he proceeded to start 21 matches in La Liga, entering as a replacement in another 13. Barcelona dominated to claim the league championship, securing it with a 14-point advantage and nearly achieving a perfect season with only one loss. All of Paulinho's scoring contributions as a Blaugrana occurred in La Liga.
Paulinho also participated in nine of Barcelona's 10 Champions League fixtures that season. The sole match he missed saw Barcelona suffer a devastating and now notorious elimination by AS Roma in the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, he would claim the second trophy of his Barcelona tenure in the 5–0 victory against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final. Paulinho played his last match as a Blaugrana on May 5, 2018, netting a goal in the 5–1 triumph over Villarreal.
Paulinho went back to Guangzhou FC in China on loan following the 2018 World Cup and six months later Barcelona transferred him permanently to the Chinese club for essentially the identical amount they purchased him for. The Brazilian competed in China until 2021, before returning to Brazil with Corinthians until his retirement in 2024.
Currently serving as sporting director for Mirassol FC in the Brazilian league, Paulinho can forever reflect and say it was Messi who directly facilitated his move to Barcelona. Was the signing worthwhile? During his 49 matches wearing the Blaugrana jersey, Barcelona suffered defeat just once.