5 of the best players for FC Barcelona this season

#4 Paulinho

Brazil v Argentina - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifier

It was unsurprising to see Barcelona and Paulinho getting trolled after the latter joined the Blaugrana from China.

There were several sides to the transfer story with many newspapers even suggesting that the Barca president was seeking a business advantage through this particular transfer.

However, often, the negatives trump the positives when attention is concerned. Therefore, no one bothered to highlight the positives of this Brazilian workhorse.

Despite his shortcomings, Paulinho is an incredibly hard-working player. He is one player who runs all match long and is extremely useful in the high pressing tactic that Valverde applies.

Barcelona, under the current manager, look to win possession back quickly and therefore tend to press the opposition high up the pitch.

This can be tiring for the players but Paulinho’s work ethic enables him to complete his tasks well. Also, the Brazilian midfielder is always determined to score important goals and is a threat inside the box.

He scored a crucial winner late in the game against Getafe, which saved them from dropping two points at an essential stage in the league. He might not be the most talented footballer but is surely an effective player in Valverde’s system.

With Andres Iniesta's creativity and Ivan Rakititc's defensive mindset, the club needed a good box-to-box player and Paulinho seems to have ticked that box for the team.