CSL again dominates as window slams shut
Print Edition
FOR a second successive winter transfer window, the Chinese Super League has upset the established world soccer order with the spending power and ambition of its biggest clubs.
It started in December as Shanghai SIPG agreed to pay US$60 million to Chelsea for Brazil’s Oscar in a move that prompted Antonio Conte, coach of the Premier League club, to warn about the challenge from the east.
“The Chinese market is a danger for all,” Conte said. “Not only for Chelsea, but all the teams in the world. But I think we must concentrate on our work, not think that in China there is a lot of money and they can arrive to take the players there.”
It continued in January with Shanghai Shenhua reportedly making Argentina’s Carlos Tevez the highest-paid player in the world, and it finally closed on Tuesday, three days before the start of the 2017 CSL season.
FC Cologne Sporting Director Jorg Schamdtke expressed some relief, telling the Bild newspaper: “The madness will be over soon.” The German club turned down big-money offers for star striker Anthony Modeste from Tianjin Quanjian. “We’ve said ‘no’ once and we did not want to give in because of a next offer.”
Tianjin, newly-promoted to the Chinese top tier, has been one of the most active clubs in the transfer market and linked with moves for Chelsea’s Diego Costa, Wayne Rooney of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Under coach Fabio Cannavaro, Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning captain, Tianjin spent more than US$20 million on Belgium international midfielder Axel Witsel, who turned down Italy’s Juventus to join former Brazil and AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato at the Chinese club.
Juventus lost Brazil striker Hernanes to Hebei. Coached by former Real Madrid and Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, Hebei spent just over US$100 million in the transfer window.
Much of that went on local players. Its most expensive acquisition was the reported US$22 million spent on Zheng Chengdong from Beijing Guo’an.
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