Paulinho: Barcelona agree to sign ex-Tottenham midfielder Paulinho for 40m euros

Paulinho became Tottenham's record signing when he joined in 2013

Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Brazil and ex-Tottenham midfielder Paulinho from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande for 40m euros (£36.4m).

It would be Barcelona's first signing since they sold striker Neymar to Paris St-Germain for a world record £200m.

Paulinho, now 29, joined Tottenham for £17m from Corinthians in 2013 and moved to China two years later.

He will have a medical in Spain on Thursday with a view to completing the move the same day.

Paulinho has established himself as a regular in the Brazil side since the appointment of Tite as coach last year.

He has scored nine goals in 41 international appearances since making his debut in 2011, and was a member of the squad that won the Confederations Cup in 2013.

He played a significant part in Evergrande winning last season's Chinese Super League and is set to leave with them five points clear at the top of the table this term.

Barcelona have also made bids for Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele and Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

Dortmund rejected the bid and have since suspended Dembele for missing training, while Coutinho handed in a transfer request after Liverpool turned down Barcelona's offer.