Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to pay Brazilian club Corinthians £17 million for the transfer of midfielder Paulinho. The reports have been confirmed by Corinthians’ director of football Edu. The full deal could take several weeks to make official, as Paulinho will not address his future (nor be available for negotiations and a physical) until after the Confederations Cup.

Paulinho (José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior) would represent Spurs first major signing of the summer and the first since the appointment of Franco Baldini as football director at the North London club. Baldini is expected to work closely with Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas on the recruitment of players to White Hart Lane.

Report: Tottenham Hotspur Set To Sign Paulinho

Paulinho, 24, is currently playing for Brazil at the FIFA Confederations Cup. The midfielder is a key cog for head coach Luis Felipe Scolari and is currently ahead of Fernandinho, who was recently sold to Manchester City for £30 million. Paulinho scored the equalizer for Brazil in a friendly against England earlier this month.

Villas-Boas has also stated that the club will not be selling 23-year-old star Welsh striker, Gareth Bale. Reports continue to circulate that Tottenham is looking for another striker to pair with Bale and to make a hard run at trophies and a Champions League place next season. One player rumored to be in the mix is Spanish striker David Villa.

Spurs suffered their second straight final day heartbreak as they missed out on a Champions League spot on the final day of the EPL season. In 2012 they were knocked out of the final Champions League spot, despite a top 4 finish, when Chelsea received an automatic bid for winning the tournament. It will be Villas-Boas’ job to ensure that Spurs are not on the outside looking in come the spring of 2014.

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Photo Credit: EllMisterM, Wiki Commons, CC