Pauleta joins PSG

The Bordeaux striker was the subject of a late ‚é¼8.5 million bid from Lyon, but has joined PSG for a fee in the region of ‚é¼7 million.

The Portuguese international will receive a wage hike at Parc des Princes, and his arrival will soften the impact of the imminent departure of Ronaldinho.

"Logically, he will sign a three-year contract today," declared a delighted Vahid Halilhodzic.

"But we have to take care as Lyon are still pushing.

"I wanted that player. He is the reference in France.

"I would like to have Pauleta and Ronaldinho in my team but it seems impossible today.

"I do my best for Ronaldinho to stay, but it is so complex. I would have liked Ronaldinho to spend one month with me, without his entourage, as I am sure he would have had other reactions."

The reality, however, is that PSG have had to make a substantial financial effort to sign Pauleta, so the Ronaldinho fee will be useful to the capital club.

French contacts believe Barcelona's bid, including Philippe Christanval and Juan Roman Riquelme, does not particularly interest PSG, and there are suspicions that Barca will struggle to find the ‚é¼25 million fee being quoted.

Manchester United remain favourites to eventually land the Brazilian, even though Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is understood to have met agent Roberto Assis in Paris on Wednesday.

"I do not know anything about Ronaldinho," Halilhodzic commented.

"One will see.

"But I will not accept that someone comes to break the harmony of this group. The most important thing is the collective one, and this is created during the (pre-season) training."

Ronaldinho is still in Porto Alegre in Brazil and has not returned to link up again with his PSG team-mates.

Manchester United will be hoping to finally strike a deal with PSG on Thursday, despite the competition from Barcelona and Chelsea.