Paulinho may have only played one season with Barcelona, but the 2017/18 edition left a strong mark on Catalan fans.
The Brazilian midfielder was one of that team's biggest surprises, arriving from China and quickly becoming an important figure.
In a recent interview, Paulinho has revealed the unusual story of his transfer, revealing that for the first time he learned about Barcelona's interest directly from Lionel Messi.
"Messi came up to me. We were playing a friendly against Argentina in Australia. The referee had just whistled for a foul and I was next to the ball with Willian."
"Suddenly, Leo came up to me, looked me straight in the eye and said: 'So, are we coming to Barcelona or not?'. That's it. Without any explanation. He turned and left. I didn't even have time to think."
Paulinho admits he was shocked by what happened on the pitch.
"I just said: 'If you want to take me, I'm coming!'. At the time I was playing in the Chinese Super League with Guangzhou Evergrande and no one would believe that Barcelona were interested in me."
After the match, he tried to figure out if it was something real.
"After the game, I called my agent and said: 'Boss, for God's sake, I'm going crazy! Tell me if this is true or not!'. I even thought about writing to Neymar to see if he knew anything."
"The agent called me and said: 'The deal is done. You have to come to Barcelona to sign the papers.'"
Paulinho moved from China and left a very positive impression, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists in 34 appearances, a significant contribution in a season that Barcelona fans still remember fondly.Telegrafi
