The era of Chinese clubs paying huge transfer fees for star players may be over, with the government wanting them to focus on youth development.
China
“Unnamed Chinese Super League teams” may have become a godsend for British tabloid journalists looking to create some transfer excitement but these teams are increasingly operating under stricter financial regulations.
These are a reflection of the concern in China over the huge amounts of money that have been laid out in recent years on foreign stars. The increase in spending since 2011 has been staggering, with over $1 billion (£780 million) having left the country to fill bank accounts of European clubs, agents and players. In less than 12 months, Shanghai SIPG spent over $150m on Brazilian stars Hulk, Oscar and Elkeson – and that is before their salaries are taken into account.
This story is from the August 2017 edition of When Saturday Comes.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of When Saturday Comes.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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