Speculation has increased surrounding the future of Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, who has had very little game time at Tottenham this season. It has been increasingly speculated that manager Mauricio Pochettino, who came to the club only in the summer, does not see Paulinho as part of his plans. Former manager Andre Villas-Boas played a key role in bringing the Brazilian to White Hart Lane. Unsurprisingly, Paulinho was a regular first-team player in his first season at the club after having cost £ 16 million. He found his importance within the team reduced after the arrival of Tim Sherwood as the replacement for Villas-Boas.

This season, though, it has been shocking to see the midfielder utilised for just 29 minutes in the Premier League so far. He has featured in two Europa League matches, which is widely seen as the platform for Tottenham reserve players to make a name for themselves. Rejecting any speculation of a fallout with Paulinho, Pochettino says that the midfielder is not featuring only because of the World Cup hangover. The 26-year-old was part of the Brazilian team that suffered an embarrassing exit at the World Cup 2014. The lack of regular game time has led to Paulinho being linked with a return to his former club Corinthians.

“No, no Tottenham player, including Paulinho, will be loaned to Brazil. There is no chance. Paulinho arrived late, one of the last players to join the squad after the World Cup. There isn’t any problem. He is training and doing well, it’s just a technical decision,” said the Spurs manager. The fact that Tottenham are struggling for consistency in results especially in the league could force Pochettino to take a look at including Paulinho in the team much earlier than expected. Tottenham have won just three games in the league so far this season.