Brazil's Paulinho joins Tottenham Hotspur

Brazil’s Paulinho joined Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday as the English Premier League club made their first pre-season signing in a bid to secure a top four finish next term.

The 24-year-old, previously with Corinthians, was a regular for Brazil during their Confederations Cup campaign which culminated in a 3-0 win over Spain in the final on Sunday.

Neither the fee or length of contract has been disclosed by Tottenham.

He told the north London club’s official Twitter account, @SpursOfficial: “I am very happy and excited to have joined Spurs. It’s a huge pleasure for my career to be at a club as big as Tottenham.”

Inter Milan and Real Madrid were also believed to be interested in a move for the midfielder, who scored twice during the Confederations Cup, following on from his equalising goal in Brazil’s 2-2 draw with England last month.