20 of the best foreign players to have played in the Chinese Super League

7 – Seydou Keita

The former Barcelona man now plies his trade in Qatar

Seydou Keita began his professional career at French club Olympique Marseille. He then signed for Ligue 2 side FC Lorient, playing a vital role in their winning promotion to Ligue 1. The following season he suffered from some injury issues and wasn’t able to have the same impact, resulting in the team’s relegation. Keita then made a move to another French side Lens, where he played for five years, even going on to captain the side. In July 2007, Keita signed for Spanish team Sevilla, where he was a regular starter.

In May of 2008 the Malian transferred to FC Barcelona. He spent four years with the Catalan giants, winning a total of 14 titles with them. In 2012, Keita announced that he would no longer be a Barcelona player, and made a move to Chinese Super League side Dalian Aerbin. He spent just one season there, scoring 10 times in 37 games. Keita then returned to Spain for a very brief spell with Valencia, before moving to Italy to play two seasons for AS Roma. The 36-year-old midfielder is now at Qatari side El Jaish, where he has a six-month deal.