According to Italian Football Reporter Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport, Lazio made a €15 million offer for S.C. Braga striker Paulinho. However, as the Portuguese Primeira Liga side was requesting a higher fee for the player, they politely declined the Biancocelesti’s proposal. As it stands, the 27-year-old is set to join English Premier League club Wolverhampton in a €25 million move.
Lazio’s interest in Paulinho was the result of Felipe Caicedo’s likely departure to Al-Gharafa SC. As the Biancocelesti will need to secure a replacement, they started searching for younger, experienced, and established talent to improve the overall quality of the squad.
While Lazio were said to have ‘shortlisted’ Paulinho, with Fenerbahçe’s Vedat Muriqi and Real Madrid’s Borja Mayoral heavily linked to the Biancocelesti, it seemed unlikely that they would pursue the player; this seems to be the case, as the Wolves have taken the lead to sign the striker.
Paulinho joined Braga on a free transfer (after his contract expiry with Gil Vicente FC) in 2017 and his last contract extension came in 2018 (which extended his deal with the Portuguese Primeira Liga side until 30.06.2023). Therefore, it is important to note that if – and when – the club ends up selling the player, they will experience an important capital gain.
In the 2019/20 season, Paulinho made 48 appearances for Braga, scoring 25 goals and providing nine assists in all competitions (Primeira Liga UEFA Europa League, Allianz Cup, Taça de Portugal Placard).
