If there was ever a time for European clubs to fear competition from abroad for talented players, now is the time. The football transfer market has been rocked by the biggest non-European destination: China.
The Chinese Super League has attracted some key names such as Hulk, Pelle, Alex Teixeira, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and most recently Oscar and Carlos Tevez. Money has helped, but there is no denying that the league is growing in appeal.
Whilst the next player to head to China always seems bigger than the last, the far-east Asia nation looks to outdo themselves by now going after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. According to beIN Sports correspondent Tancredi Palmeri, the club is none other than Shanghai SIPG.
BOOM! AUBAMEYANG HAS RECEIVED AN OFFER OF 41m€ PER YEAR FROM SHANGHAI, AND 150m€ FOR BORUSSIA DORTMUND, BOTH WOULD BEAT WORLD RECORDS!
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) January 4, 2017
The reported offer contains ludicrous numbers. Palmeri reports that Shanghai SIPG have offered Borussia Dortmund €150m – a world record. Furthermore, they have offered to pay Gabonese striker €41m-per-year, which would make him the world’s highest paid player.
However, there are two reasons why fans need not to worry about this claim. The first is Shanghai SIPG will have to beat out competition from the world’s biggest club Real Madrid to land the well-known Blancos admirer.
Aubameyang has publicly spoken out about his desire to play at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid have only to step up their pursuit, given that turning down the 11-time Champions League winners is almost impossible.
Secondly, the report is from Tancredi Palmeri. Although his CV is remarkable, his history of getting transfer rumors right is quite the opposite.
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