CEDRIC BAKAMBU has become the most expensive African player in history after joining Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan from Villarreal for £65million.
Guoan paid the striker’s £35m release clause, plus an extra £30m in a recently introduced tax aimed at stemming the flow of foreigners to the league.
The 26-year-old, who had been linked with Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham and West Brom, decided to move to China for what he described as a “life-changing opportunity” thanks to a £16m-a-year contract.
But just who is Bakambu? We asked our friends at Football Whispers to take a look.
Born in the Parisian suburbs to Congolese parents, the striker came through the ranks at Sochaux, before moving to Bursaspor, but since arriving as an unknown quality at Villarreal in 2015, his career has taken off.
He scored 47 goals in 105 games for El Submarino Amarillo, including nine as they reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2016.
The DR Congo international has been in excellent form this season. He had scored nine goals in 15 league games and was named La Liga Player of the Month for October.
Permanently on the shoulder of the last defender, Bakambu is a constant nuisance for defenders thanks to directness, pace and power.
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Against Malaga in November, he scored a hat-trick of offside goals – all were close calls but they demonstrated his desire to break behind opposition defences.
He’s by no means the all-rounded player, however.
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Bakambu’s first touch can, on occasion, be exquisite, but as a hold-up player, the ball often bounces away from him which can be frustrating for teammates and fans alike.
He is also very right-footed. Only five of his 28 La Liga goals have come with his left and none have been headers – an area of his game he needs to work on given his size.
While Bakambu was largely prolific during his Villarreal career, he had a dry patch last season and his game suffered. In 21 games in all competitions, he scored just two goals. It affected his confidence.
The forward started snatching at shots and appeared to be a one-season wonder in Spain. However he proved that wrong by returning to form and then shining this term.
At Villarreal, his best work has come as part of a front two, combining best with Roberto Soldado and then Carlos Bacca when the former Tottenham Hotspur man left in the summer.
There’s no doubt he’ll be missed at El Submarino Amarillo.
The club are a notable selling side – moving on the likes of Gabriel Paulista, Eric Bailly, Mateo Musacchio, Luciano Vietto and Alexandre Pato for notable profits in recent years.
Bakambu is the latest name on that list after he was bought for just £6.6m in August 2015.
His departure will hit the club harder, though. Bakambu was the Villarreal’s star player. Not only was he unafraid to take centre stage on the pitch, but off the field he was a big personality.
Last November, he joined Paul Pogba in protesting against slave trade, by crossing his arms in protest at 21st century slavery in Libya exposed by a CNN documentary.
He rammed home that message by posting ‘F*** slavery’ on Twitter after a game against Astana, earning more than 32,000 retweets.
On a lighter note, he took centre stage in Villarreal’s Christmas video just a couple of weeks ago, suggesting his departure was a surprise to the Spanish side.
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“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way” was reworked to “Bakambu, Bakambu, Bacca y Bakambu” (Bakambu, Bakambu, Bacca and Bakambu), with Villarreal’s striking duo dressed as Santa singing the festive tune.
Bakambu appeared the heart and soul of the team, thriving in a side where the fans loved him. There was certainly no sign of him leaving.
It’s no wonder Villarreal midfielder Manu Trigueros is in shock. “We feel screwed,” he said. “We’re losing a very important player for us, he’s given us a lot.”
While his old team-mates were shocked, Bakambu has admitted he had the deal lined up for a while.
He said “Things change really quickly, but I’ve had this offer for a while and I didn’t want to say anything to anyone.
“I’m both happy and sad at the same time, a bit of both. But this is the life of a footballer.
“This is an opportunity that’s going to change my life, I know it. But it’s not easy to make a decision.
“I’ve spoken a lot with my family and in the end we took this decision, I think it’s for the best.”
For a player entering his peak years, a move to China is a risk, but the financial reward is hard to turn down.
And as Paulinho has shown, playing in the CSL doesn’t mean your career is over, with the ex-Tottenham midfielder reborn at Guangzhou Evergrande before moving to Barcelona.
Yet, Bakambu’s departure is still a massive blow to La Liga, with one of their top clubs competing for European football unable to keep their best player for a fraction of the cost Barcelona brought in Philippe Coutinho.
There’s no doubt Villarreal’s loss is Beijing Guoan’s gain, even for £65m.
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