The year 2016 has been the year of big money transfers from different leagues across the world to the Chinese Super League. Transfers that have made some of the highest-paid footballers in the world and the richest clubs seem like they are operating on a shoe-string budget. And as we prepare to face the New Year, we take a look at some of big money transfers to the Asian nation that shook the world year.
Gervinho - Roma to Hebei China Fortune
The Ivory coast international had spent two seasons at Arsenal and three at Roma, before making a move to the Chinese outfit for a fee or around £15m. He has since scored three league goals in 18 appearances. He earns approximately £200,000 a week.
Obafemi Martins - Seattle Sounders to Shanghai Shenhua
One of Africa's favorite sons, Obafemi Martins has hopped from club to club all over Europe. The Nigerian forward has played for the likes of Inter Milan, Newcastle United, Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham, Levante, Seattle Sounders, and most recently Shanghai Shenhua, a favorite destination for top footballers in Europe. At 32, Obafemi has scored nine league goals in 26 appearances for the CSL outfit since making his £4.8million a year move. 
Papiss Cisse - Newcastle United to Shandong Luneng
Cisse's transfer to China was a reprieve to many Chelsea fans, who were getting accustomed to watching the Senegal forward scoring against the Blues, habitually. At Shandong, he has scored five goals in 13 league appearances since making the £2.5 million move. Although his weekly salary is not in public domain, it is said to be at least £100,000 a week.
Graziano Pelle - Southampton to Shandong Luneng
Even before the dust could settle after Cisse's move, another Premier League star, Graziano Pelle moved to the East Asian country to join Shandong Luneng for £12m. The transfer made him the world's fifth-highest paid footballer thanks to his yearly wage of £13.5m, which translates to around £400,000 a week. The Italian has since scored five league goals in 13 games for the Chinese side. 
Burak Yilmaz - Galatasary to Beijin Guoan
Mention Burak Yilmaz and the name 'Galatasaray' pops up in the mind of any fan of Turkish football. At the Turkish Super Lig, he scored 65 goals in 105 appearances before switching to China for £6.8m. He has scored 11 goals in 17 league appearances for the Imperial Guards since his arrival.
Ramires - Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning
The £25m paid to bring Ramires to China was the then transfer record in the Chinese league, but it was later shattered twice when his fellow South Americans Jackson Martinez and Alex Teixera joined the club. Martinez, a Colombia, was signed for £35m, while his counterpart, Texeira, a Brazilian, jumped crossed over for £60m, which was also the same amount of money that was paid to sign Oscar from Chelsea on December 23. 
Hulk - Zenit St Petersburg to Shanghai SIPG
Last summer, Hulk then sealed a £48m switch from Zenit St Petersburg to Shanghai SIPG. His current weekly wage is approximately £330,000.
Ezequiel Lavezzi - Paris Saint-Germain to Hebei China Fortune
Then there are two Argentine superstars who have taken the Chinese league by storm - Ezequiel Lavezzi and Carlos Tevez. Lavezzi moved from PSG to Hebei China Fortune at the beginning of this year for a deal that earns him £10m a year. .jpg)
Carlos Tevez - Boca Juniors to Shanghai Shenhua
But it is Carlos Tevez's insane transfer fee that brought the footballing world to a standstill. The Argentine signed for Shanghai Shenhua on December 29 and according to multiple reports, the ex-West Ham, Man Utd, Man City and Juventus star is set to earn a staggering salary of £39.4m per year. Here's a complete breakdown of Tevez's new payslip which makes him by far the highest paid footballer in the entire universe. .jpg)
The rise of the Chinese Super League and the allure of money cannot be ignored at this juncture. As days go by, the reality is sinking in - many superstars joining the Chinese Super League are not necessarily flops from other leagues. That harsh reality continues to creep in to the management of top European leagues and if there are no control measures to curb such absurd transfers, then the next entity that will be transferring to the Asian nations will be the fans of the beautiful game. Whether it is a good or bad thing, that is subject for a debate for another day. As of now, there is no doubt that money rules modern football.
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