New Valencia majority owner Peter Lim has made Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho one of his summer transfer targets, FootballDirectNews.com understands.
The Brazilian international has only been at White Hart Lane for one season after arriving from Corinthians last summer, and has done fairly well in his first season playing in a top European league. With eight goals and two assists in all competitions, the 25-year-old has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid, but Valencia’s injection of cash could now see them compete for some of the biggest names around Europe. Benfica defender Ezequiel Garay has also been mentioned as a target for the club, while big names from the Premier League such as Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla and Manchester United misfit Shinji Kagawa have also been mentioned in recent months as several prospective owners made bids to take over at the Mestalla.
Tottenham endured a difficult season in all competitions, and failed to reach their minimum target of a top four finish once again, and it could be that Paulinho is joined out of the exit door by other big names such as Christian Eriksen. It remains to be seen where Paulinho himself will favour moving to this summer, but Valencia could certainly present an interesting offer as they look to re-establish themselves as one of the top clubs in Spain.
