5 Of the most famous players to move to the Chinese Super League

Modified Jan 08, 2020 10:56 GMT

Carlos Tevez's move to Shanghai Shenhua made him the world's highest-paid player

#3 Oscar

Oscar admitted he was thinking of his family more than his career when he moved to China in 2017

One of the most highly-rated Brazilian prospects in some time, attacking midfielder Oscar joined Chelsea in the summer of 2012 for a fee close to £25m, and despite the odd slump in form, his record at Stamford Bridge was excellent; his debut season saw him win the Europa League, and in 2014-15, he delivered 6 goals and 8 assists as the Blues won the Premier League and also picked up the EFL Cup.

By 2015-16 though, the Brazilian had fallen out of favour with the Stamford Bridge faithful, and despite making 40 appearances that season, a move away from the club was looking likely. Oscar was reportedly being tracked by European giants like Juventus, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, which was why it came as a huge surprise when he instead signed with Chinese side Shanghai SIPG in January 2017.

Shanghai reportedly paid around £60m for the Brazilian – an Asian football record – as he moved to join his international teammate Hulk at the club. A 2017 interview saw Oscar admit that he’d primarily “thought about his family more than his career” when he made the move, as he was just 25 years old and in his prime at the time of the transfer, but he’s done well in China, scoring 14 goals and making 40 assists in 79 league games and helping Shanghai to win a Super League title in 2018.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Zaid Khan