Former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho has been threatened with deportation after he was seen posing with a Japanese porn star.

The news may seem as weird as it sounds but one thing which is sure is that Paulinho’s career graph has been taking an unbelievable tilt towards the bottom.

Not very long ago, the Brazilian was a regular for Tottenham, playing in the prestigious English Premier League. He was considered one of the brightest talents in Brazil after he impressed for the Brazil national team with his performances in the Confederations cup in 2016. He was primed for big things when he arrived in England but somehow, things haven’t gone as planned.

Paulinho joined China’s Guangzhou Evergrande from Tottenham for £9.9M and was delighted in doing so. He signed a four-year deal with the Chinese club managed by ex-Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

He expressed his delight when he joined them, by saying:

“I’d like to thank Tottenham and all the supporters who welcomed me very well during those two years in England. I will always cheer for Spurs.”

Paulinho has been threatened with deportation after he was photographed alongside a Japanese adult film star while promoting a betting company. Under China’s strict moral code, it is against the law to appear in photos with porn stars while under professional contract. This seemingly innocuous act has landed the Brazilian in some serious hot water.

Also, professional football leagues ban footballers from betting on any football match in most leagues around the world and FIFA now prohibits all professional players from having any involvement in the industry, so Paulinho’s decision to back Letou is not a smart one considering the circumstances.

The act is not going to help Paulinho as the world cup is edging closer. Any disciplinary failing is sure to upset the national team coach and with a host of options available to choose from, least of the reasons are needed to exclude a player from the squad.