Six big names who are still playing in Chinese Super League

Bengaluru, Sep 8: In the last couple of years, the Chinese Super League has become an increasingly lucrative stop for many of Europe’s big footballers. With more cash flowing in the Asian side, footballers now often manage to move into there with a view of earning large sum packages.

Usually, earlier at the downturn of their career, many top players lead to move into the cash riched side but in the recent years, the circumstances have changed, and now many top players in their prime to are competing over there and there has been a large chunk of Brazilian names involved in it.

Here we look at six such names who are still plying their trade over there despite still so much top football left in them:

1) Hulk (Shanghai SIPG)

The Brazilian was among the first few big names who moved to China during the influx of huge money. Although his professional career took off with Asian clubs in Japan but he made a name for himself first in Porto before moving to Russia to play for Zenit. In 2016 he move to Shanghai for a record €55m fee. But the money has been worth every penny as he has been a huge hit in China involving in 117 games in same matches so far.

2) Oscar (Shanghai SIPG)

Another big recoup by the Chinese side, the Brazilian was snatched away from Chelsea in 2016. Oscar made the £60 million switch from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, where he reportedly earns around £350,000 a week but this move came as a big shock as he was just 25-years-old when he moved and there were offers on the table from Atletico Madrid and Serie A clubs. He too has been a hit so in Far east, scoring 36 times and assisting 59 in around 115 appearances.

3) Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai)

The Nigerian is mostly known for his spell in Watford which came as part of success in the Premier League in 2015 season where he scored 18 league goals. The striker signed a new five year deal with the club on August 2016, but after failing to find the net in 15 Premier League he was sold in January to Chinese Super League team Changchun Yatai for a fee believed to be in the range of £20 million. He had a fair amount of time over there and this Summer he changed his side to another CSL team, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

4) Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng)

Graziano Pelle became an instant hit signing for Southampton back in 2014 under Koeman. He scored 30 goals for the Saints but after Koeman left the post as Southampton manager in the summer of 2016 he too decided to follow suit a month later signing for Shandong Luneng over a fee of £12 million. He has since scored 51 goals for the side.

5) Alex Teixeira (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Once a target for Liverpool, Teixeira ultimately left Shakhtar Donetsk for Jiangsu Suning in a shocking move in his prime only aged 26 years rejecting an offer from Anfield. It is understood that he moved there due to high wage which is nearly around £210k per week. He has had a brilliant beginning but last year had a dip in form, but still overall has managed almost 60 goals in over 120 appearances.

6) Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang)

Eyebrows were raised when the budding young talent of Atletico and Belgium suddenly chose a club in China over some top European sides. He was behind the pecking order under Simeone when he moved to China. His time at Far east, however, has not been that much astonishing as he has scored only 23 times. In this Summer, he was heavily linked over a move to Europea with Arsenal, Inter among interested but a fee could not be agreed.