TheSportsCampus

Corinthians' 24-year old midfielder Paulinho has quashed rumours in the press linking him with a big money move to European Champions Chelsea, describing them as "just speculation" in an interview on Wednesday.

With Chelsea looking for a box-to-box midfielder to strengthen their squad following the departures of Raul Meireles and Michael Essien, it came as no surprise that the club's scouts looked towards Brazil for more talent, considering the strong connection they already have with the Samba nation running through their squad.

Additionally with Paulinho being no rookie, he would probably adapt quite well to Chelsea's new attacking style of play and coud be employed alongside or possibly even instead of John Obi Mikel in a sitting role in front of the back four.

However, despite rumours of a bid in the air come the January transfer window, Corinthians are desperate to hang on to a player who is central to the way they play their football with their Coach Tite strongly suggesting that they value the player highly and are desperate to hold on to him.

Tite told Globo Esporte, "I have no idea where this information has come from... Money doesn't buy everything. It could be a lot of money, but if the player is smart and has ambition, as Paulinho does, then money will not be enough.

"Everyone wants him, but that changes nothing. Corinthians come first. The biggest assets a club have are their players and their achievements here. I want him to stay and I praise Paulinho's intelligence. When he decided to stay here, he increased the value of everybody.

"He is at a club where he is settled, in a system that suits him, so his career will continue to grow."

It will be interesting to see though how Paulinho reacts should an official offer fructify in January. The fact that they player has played in Europe previously, albeit in lower leagues, will mean that he is likely to also aclimatize himself sooner to England's tough winter, making him an even more attractive prospect.