Loan until end of contract
Bayer 04 Leverkusen announced Paulinho’s farewell on Thursday. The 22-year-old attacking player is moving to Clube Atlético Mineiro in his native Brazil on loan until his contract expires on June 30, 2023. Most recently, “Globo Esporte” reported on an upcoming agreement between Paulinho and the Brazilian first division club. Accordingly, Atlético-MG tried to get a loan for a small sum in January at the start of the season, before a firm commitment would come into effect in the summer. Such an agreement has not yet been confirmed.
“Both sides have certainly imagined the cooperation differently over the past few years. With this transfer for the rest of the current season, we have now found a solution that is satisfactory for everyone involved,” explained Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes.
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The “Werkself” brought the left winger from his native Brazil from Vasco da Gama in 2018 for €18.5m, making him one of the top 10 most expensive signings in Bayer 04 club history. However, Paulinho was unable to assert himself in the long term. He played the most Bundesliga games in a season in 2021/22 at the age of 24, in previous years he had played 15 or 13. This season there are only four short appearances and 79 minutes in the German upper house. This development caused his market value to fall from 9 to 7 million euros in the latest Bundesliga update – it was the second minus in a row.
With the team from Belo Horizonte, where Diego Godín (36) and Hulk (36) are active, the Olympic champion is aiming for a new start. Atlético Mineiro had already shown interest last summer, but a transfer did not materialize. The “Kicker” reported at the time that the attacker had rejected several offers because he wanted to change for a free transfer.
#Bayer04 gives @PaulinhoPH7 until the end of his contract in the summer @Atletico.
More on this: https://t.co/4kHQePEPyK#Werkself
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) December 1, 2022
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