Paulinho is close to leaving Tottenham for China as Spurs hope to recoup the full £17 million they paid for the midfielder.

Guangzhou Evergrande, who are coached by former Brazil and Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, are thought to have agreed terms with Paulinho and must now only settle with Tottenham to end Paulinho’s unhappy stay in north London.

Paulinho, 26, is likely to be paid about £90,000 a week at Guangzhou, a significant increase on the weekly £55,000 he collects at White Hart Lane.

He was also wanted by Watford and Fenerbahce, but looks to have chosen instead to link up with his former national team coach.

If the deal goes through, Paulinho is likely to be Guangzhou’s record signing.

Guangzhou are one of the strongest clubs in Asia and have a track record of attracting international stars.

They were coached for a time by Marcello Lippi, the former Juventus and Italy chief, who led them from 2012 to 2014, winning the Asian Champions League in 2013.

Alberto Gilardino, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 when Lippi was in charge, has spent time with Guangzhou, who have four Brazilians on their books.

On the face of it, Guangzhou represents a few steps down in class for Paulinho, as Chinese domestic football is well below the standard of the Premier League. He is unlikely to find the football as exacting in South China as he did in southern England.

Yet it would not necessarily extinguish his international ambitions.

Of Brazil’s squad for the Copa America, two players – forward Diego Tardelli and midfielder Everton Ribeiro – play their club football in Asia. Tardelli is with Chinese club Shandong Luneng, while Ribeiro is employed by Al-Ahli in Dubai.

Paulinho was keen to leave Tottenham on loan during the January transfer window in order to regain his Brazil place, before deciding to see out the season with Spurs.

He struggled to win the favour of Mauricio Pochettino and was left out of Brazil’s final 23.

A number of players of international pedigree have moved to China in recent seasons. Gilardino’s fellow Italian international Alessandro Diamanti has also spent time with Guangzhou, while Paraguay forward Lucas Barrios had a year there. Tardelli has been there since January.

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If the move is completed, it remains to be seen how long Paulinho stays at Guangzhou, or whether it represents a stepping stone towards an eventual return to Corinthians in his homeland.