China sending football market to stratosphere 价格不菲的中国足球

TheChinese Super League is finding that you win some and lose some when it comesto landing the world’s top football players.

Carlos Tevez, anArgentine national team star currently with club team Boca Juniors in BuenosAires, is about to become the highest-paid player in the world.

According to mediareports, Tevez, 32, will be paid more than $762,000 a week in a two-yearcontract with CSL side Shanghai Shenhua, which he is expected to sign nextweek. The deal adds up to $75 million over two seasons.

Tevezplayed his last game for Boca on Sunday as fans begged him to stay with signssaying, No te vayas, Carlitos.

Tevezhad appeared content to finish his career at Boca Juniors until the CSL came callingwith sacks of money.

Yes,many great players will head to where the pitches are greener — and there arenone greener than in China now. (Chelsea star Oscar from Brazil is headed toShanghai SIPG in a $64 million deal reported on Friday.)

Butstriker Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League hasreportedly turned down a £120 million (about $149 million) deal from the CSL tostay in England.

ManchesterUnited has confirmed it will offer another year to Ibrahimovic, according tothe Daily Mail of London.

The Premier League isgenerally considered the world’s best, if not always in Champions League play butin prestige, and although the CSL continues to peel away some world-classtalent, some players prefer competing against the top players.

“Beingan emerging league and certainly not the first choice of most star players,football clubs in the CSL have to pay skyrocketing salaries to attract topfootballers,” Andrea Sartori, global head of sports advisory practice for KPMG, whoseFootball Benchmark reports cover the business of soccer, told China Daily USA.“Thelong-term cost-benefit analysis of these investments has still to bedemonstrated.”

The Daily Mail reported that the CSL planned to offer Ibrahimovic £56million this past summer, but after the form he’s shown this season atManchester, they made the more dramatic pitch.

Ibrahimovic, 35, who retiredas a stalwart for the Swedish national team after Euro 2016, is enjoying arenaissance at Old Trafford this season with 11 goals in 16 matches for JoseMourinho’s team.

“As long as he (Mourinho) needs me and the team needs me, I'mhere,” Ibrahimovic has said. “In my mind, I'm fresh. I’m like a 20-year-oldboy. I feel fresh, I feel good and I'll keep going,” the rangy star said onSaturday.

He went on later that day to scoreboth goals for United in a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

While Ibra might not be ready to make the move to China now,the money will probably stay on the table for him in 2018.