Chinese President Xi Jinping has never hidden his passion for football and the Chinese Super League has duly risen to prominence since he took office in 2013, becoming an ever increasing attraction for South American players in particular.
Of 84 foreign players now plying their trade in China, 32 are South Americans – 22 of them Brazilians – as China looks to hoist itself up the rankings by investing heavily in the Brazilian, data from the Transfermarkt specialist website confirms.
Striker Ricardo Goulart, aged just 23 and not seeking a final lucrative move in the twilight of his career, was voted best player in the top-flight Campeonato Brasileiro last season by Placar magazine.
His 15 goals for Cruzeiro earned him a debut for the national team – and also a close on US$18 million (Dh66.1m) move to Guangzhou Evergrande.
Brazilian clubs are taking the money, around $34m to date from Chinese buyers, as they try to extricate themselves from a collated debt burden of around R$4 billion (brazilian reals, Dh4.69 billion), according to Transfermarkt.
“Chinese football has moved into a new phase with the injection of capital from large enterprises and even local government in clubs. It is difficult for a Brazilian team to compete with an offer from China,” says Marcos Motta, a lawyer with experience of involvement in major transfers including that of Neymar and also of the Asian market.
Three of the top five scorers in Brazil last season have now joined the exodus to China. Bolivian Marcelo Moreno has joined Changchun Yatai after netting 15 times for Cruzeiro last year while Argentine Hernan Barcos has left Gremio for Tianjin Teda as they follow the trail first blazed by Goulart.
Argentine star Darío Conca has also made the move, leaving Fluminense for Shanghai East Asia, while Brazilian international striker Diego Tardelli joined Shandong Luneng in January from Atletico Mineiro.
Though he had to cry off with injury, the move did not stop Tardelli earning a call up from coach Dunga for Brazil’s friendlies this week against France and Chile.
“Today, Asia is signing up players with experience and China has transformed itself into a new El Dorado,” Dunga observed.
“This is the way things are today with football and we must adapt.”
The Chinese had a close-up early view of Tardelli prior to his move when he netted a double in last October’s win over Argentina in a Superclasico international played in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium.
In heading for Shandong Luneng he teamed up again with Brazilian coach Cuca, who led Mineiro to the Copa Libertadores in 2013.
Shandong boast further Brazilians in Junior Urso and Aloisio and an Argentine in the shape of Walter Montillo.
Motta, who helped to draw up Conca’s contract, told AFP: “The name Brazil resonates in China and this makes the signing of any Brazilian player, or someone who has played there such as Conca more popular.”
Conca, who played for Guangzhou Evergrande between 2011 and 2013, was an early South American pioneer in the Chinese Super League and has earned himself a top drawer salary of some $7 million a season.
Another South American making his name in China is Colombiano Giovanni Moreno, who joined Shanghai Shenhua in 2012 from Racing de Avellaneda.
For Erich Beting, director of the Maquina do Esporte web portal, the exodus to Asia is a result of the South American clubs not having the structures in place to keep a hold of their talents.
“Sometimes the club will only think of the on-field situation and forget about creating a project whereby the player will not want to move on.
“Take the case of Jadson, the Corinthians midfielder, who had an offer from China and finally decided to stay put as his family insisted on it,” Beting said.
More often, however, the players are opting to take up the offer of a lucrative move on contracts beyond the financial scope of their South American team.
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