Paulinho loaned back to Guangzhou 11 months after €40M Barcelona switch

Guangzhou Evergrande announced a loan deal for Paulinho on Sunday, merely 11 months after he left East Asia to join Barcelona for €40 million.

Barcelona later confirmed the deal, and revealed that the paperwork includes a mandatory purchase option for the Chinese Super League club.

Guangzhou manager and 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro welcomed the midfielder back to Guangdong on Twitter.

Barcelona's signing of Paulinho was widely mocked when he arrived following what was perceived as a cash-grab in China. However, the former Tottenham Hotspur man featured 49 times for the Spanish giant last season, scoring nine goals and collecting honours in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

He returns after being a mainstay in Brazil's XI at the World Cup. He started each of the country's five matches in Russia, and bagged the opener in a group-stage meeting with Serbia.

Paulinho made 63 league appearances for Guangzhou between 2015 and 2017, winning two titles in the process.