Top 10 footballers who received the highest wages in China

#7 Stephan El Shaarawy - £247,000 per week

Italy Training Session & Press Conference

Stephan El Shaarawy is one of the few footballers who came to China and was then successfully able to make it back to the top level of European football. He joined the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenua for a healthy weekly wage of £247,000 per week.

The Italian entered the final twelve months of contract with Roma in 2019. The club were trying to negotiate a new contract but the player wasn't happy with the wages offered. So when the Chinese club came offering a big sum, Shaarawy accepted the challenge in Asia.

However, it was a brief stay in which the Roma player made only 19 appearances. He did win the Chinese FA Cup medal so at least he did get himself a souvenir alongside the cash. He rejoined Roma in January 2021 as a free agent.

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#6 Graziano Pelle - £263,000 per week

Gyeongnam v Shandong Luneng - AFC Champions League Group E

The Italian striker moved to China in 2016 after he decided to switch allegiances from Premier League club Southampton to Shandong Luneng. It was a surprising move for many because by no means was Graziano Pelle performing badly in the Premier League. He was pretty much Southampton's most potent threat in front of goal.

Pelle was always going to be a hit in China and he did go on to be one. The Italian scored on 63 occasions in 133 appearances, further lending 24 assists. Luneng was availing his services for £263,000 per week. After his Chinese adventure came to an end in 2020, he joined Serie A club, Parma.

The Italian currently finds himself without a club and some suggest he might just have played his final game.

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#5 Hulk - £320,000 per week

Shanghai SIPG v Yokohama F.Marinos - AFC Champions League Group H

He received a lot of attention for carrying the name of one of Marvel's most popular superhero characters. But Hulk turned all that attention to admiration and praise through his on-field performances. He was absolutely lethal in front of goal and he was quite brilliant at using his strong frame.

So naturally when Hulk moved from Zenit Petersburg to Shanghai SIPG as the record signing in Asian football history back then, many sensed a lack of ambition. Nonetheless, he stayed in China for four years, where he stacked 76 goals and 54 assists in 145 appearances. Hulk also pocketed a hefty weekly wage of £320,000 every week.

It is a shame that we never witnessed Hulk play for one of Europe's top clubs because he was absolutely of that standard. His time in China did bring him trophies as he won the Chinese Super League in 2018 and the FA Cup in 2019. The Brazilian striker ended his spell with Shanghai in 2021 before returning to his native Brazil and now plays for Atletico Mineiro.

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#4 Cedric Bakambu - £341,000 per week

Buriram United v Beijing Guoan - AFC Champions League Group G

Many were of the belief that even though Chinese clubs had become used to exploiting and flaunting their financial powers, they were still overpaying Cedric Bakambu. But then again, this was someone who for two successive seasons had scored more than goals in the Spanish top-flight, and had already scored nine until January in his third.

What cannot be forgotten is that Bakambu was only 27 when he moved to China and he could only get better from here for the next few years. So Beijing Gouan signed him on a weekly wage of £341,000. As was expected of the former Villarreal player, he did prove quite prolific in China.

In his three years and counting, the forward has scored 58 goals in 87 appearances for the Chinese Super League club. There are some interesting rumors circling around which say that Barcelona are planning for a free transfer of Bakambu when his contract expires in January 2022.