Teams are trying to outspend each other in an ostentatious show of strength, although the new gravy train may not last forever after the latest government intervention
‘It was a very difficult decision because on one hand there was a great team and a top club like Juventus,” explained Axel Witsel last week. “But on the other there was a crucial offer for my family that I couldn’t turn down.”
The Belgium international’s surprising move to Tianjin Quanjian did not attract the same attention as Oscar or Carlos Tevez, although in terms of the Chinese Super League’s burgeoning reputation as the new pacesetters in the global transfer market, it is perhaps even more significant. In exchange for joining the newly promoted side, managed by Fabio Cannavaro and based in one of the world’s most polluted cities, the 27-year-old from Liège will be paid a basic salary of €18m (£15m) for the next five years with bonuses expected to take his overall income close to the €100m mark if he lasts the course.
Related: Axel Witsel moves to Tianjin Quanjian from Zenit St Petersburg
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