- Corinthians dismiss Paulinho to Chelsea rumours
- Paulinho open to Inter Milan move in January
- Corinthians tie Paulinho to new contract
The 24-year-old, who was recently linked with Chelsea, had a basic agreement in place with the Nerazzurri worth €8m, but changed his mind and opted to renew his contract with the Brazilian club.
Inter are now rumoured to be pushing to revive negotiations for January, as competition is growing from several clubs, including the Blues and CSKA Moscow.
According to Sky Sport Italia, Paulinho’s contract includes a buy-out clause worth €15 million, but Inter President Massimo Moratti hopes to use his earlier talks with the player and Corinthians to get preferential treatment.
Coach Andrea Stramaccioni told Tuttosport: “He does represent one of the most interesting Brazilian midfielders.
“He is a central midfielder who can play in a two or three-man line. He is capable of scoring goals, is particularly dangerous with runs forward and combines quality with ball-winning skills.
“Both Inter and other sides have followed Paulinho, but he plays for Corinthians now and it is only right that he concentrate on the Club World Cup in December.”
Since helping Corinthians to the 2011 Brasileirão title, Paulinho’s stock has continued to rise, adding the 2012 Copa Libertadores crown and joining the full Brazil squad for recent fixtures.
He recently explained his reasoning behind turning down a move to Inter this summer.
He said: “I wasn’t ready to leave my home and go to Europe, so I chose to stay. I also felt I owed a debt to Corinthians, as we had just won the Copa Libertadores. I hope Inter understood.
“Inter are Inter, though, and they have been a starting point for many Brazilians. One day I will go.
“After the Club World Cup I will decide on my future and if Inter come calling again, we’ll talk.”
The box-to-box midfielder is currently enjoying a new role for Brazil, playing alongside Chelsea star Ramires at the base of the Seleção midfield.
The former Bragantino midfielder has been capped six times for his country, including opening the scoring in Tuesday afternoon’s 4-0 win over Japan.
