Chelsea Transfer News: Corinthians Set Valuation For Paulinho

TalkSport. Chelsea are apparently keeping tabs on the player while Premier League Champions Manchester City also maintain an interest, and Liverpool and Inter Milan have made checks on the player in the past. Corinthians do not want to lose the player, who plays in a defensive midfield role, but the lure of a move to a major European league has prompted speculation that he may ask to leave. The £15 million valuation of the player appears to be a tactical ploy to ward off potential suitors until after the transfer window slams shut in a week. The Brazilian outfit believe that by ramping up their asking price, the likes of Chelsea and Man City could be put deterred in their pursuits. Paulinho helped Corinthians claim the title of best club team on the planet when the Brazilian outfit saw off Chelsea in last month's Club World Cup Final, and has recently insisted that he is happy to stay with the club despite interest from elsewhere. He told Esporte iGlast month:

"I'm staying at Corinthians. "There were lots of rumours that I could possibly leave the club, that there are talks, but I have never been aware of anything concrete, apart from Inter Milan, which everyone knows about. "The more titles you win, the more you want to win. That's what everyone says, and I say that too."

Paulinho has been capped at senior level by Brazil 8 times and has scored twice in those appearances, including a strike against South American rivals Argentina in the 2012 Superclásico de las Américas.