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European football is considered to be the pinnacle of football. This is where the game is at its best and the players are of top quality. The best clubs and the most fierce competition is in European football and when looking at the greatest players in the history of the sport, a great percentage of them played most of their club football in Europe.
However, the increased monetization of football has seen other countries trying to get in on the action, by attracting players purely based on money or essentially as a retirement league of sorts, where they can play for fun.
The two biggest examples of these could be the Chinese Super League and Major League Soccer in the United States. So who are the 5 players that left Europe too early? Let's find out.
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#5 Oscar: Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG
Oscar was considered to be Brazil's next big footballing star. He had skill and was so graceful in how he played. Joining Chelsea from Internacional for € 28 million in 2012, Oscar was widely considered to be an absolute steal for the London based outfit and that he would be a star at the Bridge for years and years to come.
So, Oscar's sudden move to China in the 2016/17 season was all the more surprising. Granted he was having a rocky season at Chelsea, but it wasn't so bad that he wouldn't be able to bounce back from it. He still had the occasional goal and assist and was still holding down a spot in the first-team squad.
Considering the amount of talent Oscar had, it was incredibly surprising to see him leave Europe for the comforts of China at the age of 25. What he could have done if he was still playing in Europe is lost to conjecture, as he sits in China with a cushy contract until 2020.
He is playing really well there having provided 8 goals and 11 assists in 21 games this season.
#4 Axel Witsel: From Zenit to Tianjin Quanijin
Juventus though that they had their man, as 27-year-old Axel Witsel was Turin bound. Suddenly, the announcement changed and Witsel was heading over to China, leaving the bright lights of Turin behind.
In what looks like a purely money-driven move, Witsel spoke about how this was the right thing to do for his family, but leaving behind European football may not have been an ideal decision.
Witsel has spent two years of his prime playing with the tin-cans in the Chinese Super League and is rumoured to return to Europe as a Borussia Dortmund player. However, that doesn't change how one of the most talented players in the world left everything in the middle of his prime for China.
Even though his on paper contribution for Zenit the season prior to his departure were 6 goals and 5 assists, it was essentially the 3200 minutes that he played which impacted the team.
His presence on the pitch provided stability, something most of the elite European clubs crave. However, Witsel left them all hanging for China. Now that he is rumoured to return, we will see what will happen, but it is an undisputed fact that Witsel had left Europe too early.
#3 Andres Iniesta: From FC Barcelona to Vissel Kobe
Even though Xavi could fit into this list just as easily, Andres Iniesta is just a few months removed from his decision to join Vissel Kobe in the J-League. It is not a very surprising move, considering Iniesta had won everything he could have at Barcelona, but he had so much left to offer European football still.
The 34-year-old Spanish midfielder was imperative to Barcelona last season, as his contributions were unmatched by any other midfielder in the team. He maintained his position as the creative outlet in the middle for Barcelona and created opportunities for players ahead of him to convert.
Even though he moved further back into the midfield, he was still the key creative component for Barcelona, and his presence on the pitch was felt.
Iniesta has left, even though he easily had a season or two of top-flight football still in him. He was never reliant on flash but was always a functional player.
His functionality is something that would keep him relevant at the top level of European football, even if his physical gifts of strength and speed wane. His departure has been a sad one for European football.
#2 Hulk: From Zenit to Shanghai SIPG
Hulk has scored 8 goals and gotten 8 assists in his last 20 games at Shanghai SIPG. Even though that is an impressive stat, it is nothing compared to what he achieved in his first 44 games in China. His record of 30 goals and 25 assists is absolutely insane and would ideally make anyone sane human wonder, how could he have left Europe so early?
Hulk had scored 27 goals and provided 26 assists the season before he left for China. Everyone was convinced he will finally graduate and go to a top-level European club, with Chelsea being the most heavily linked.
He shocked everyone by joining Shanghai and arguably becoming one of the first to make the jump, thus starting the trend of going to China.
His stats have been incredible, but his legacy will forever have a question mark as he never allowed himself to get tested at the top of European football. Whether or not he ever would succeed there is a question left to conjecture. Let us know in the comments if you think Hulk could have succeeded at the top level of European football if he had stayed.
#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic: From Manchester United to LA Galaxy
As this article is being written, Zlatan has scored a hattrick against Orlando City to have the Galaxy win 4-3 over Orlando. This makes it 12 goals for Zlatan in his last 8 games. Adding to that, Zlatan also has the best goals to game ratio in the MLS and 4 assists to go with his 15 goals in the league already. Why did he leave Europe when he clearly had so much more to offer?
Zlatan scored 28 goals and provided 10 assists in his only full season at Manchester United. That is tremendous output considering the Swede had turned 35 that season. His contribution is still more than what Romelu Lukaku provided United with last season and Zlatan led United into winning three trophies in one season.
His knee injury may have impeded his progress at United, but he clearly came back from it, considering what he is doing in the MLS right now.
Zlatan is the oldest player on this list, but age had never been an issue for Zlatan. Joining United after a 50 goal season at PSG, it is a shame to have seen Zlatan leave for Los Angeles.
Unlike the other players on this list, Zlatan has taken a massive pay-cut to go there. Perhaps he just wanted to slow down after the tremendous career he has had, but it is is still tough to see Zlatan leave, even though he had at least a season or two left in him.
