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

#5 Alexandre Pato

After struggling in Europe, Alexandre Pato moved to China with Tianjin Quanjian

Once considered one of the most exciting prospects in world football, Alexandre Pato became a huge star at the turn of the last decade as one of AC Milan’s key attackers, but a series of injuries curtailed his development, and by 2013, he’d returned to Brazil with Corinthians. The move didn’t really work out, and moves to Chelsea and Villarreal didn’t see him fare much better.

Still just 27 years old, Pato appeared to be done at the top level – and so his move to the Chinese Super League with Tianjin Quanjian in January 2017 didn’t really come as a surprise. The club paid £15.5m for his services, but to say the start of his career in China didn’t quite work out would be an understatement.

The Brazilian forward missed a penalty in his second match for the club, a 1-1 draw with Shanghai Shenhua, denying Quanjian their first-ever Super League title. Following that though, his form did improve somewhat, and while he won no trophies, he ended up scoring 36 goals in 60 appearances for the club, before heading home in 2019 to join Sao Paulo.

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