The record transfer fee set by a Chinese football club earlier this week has already been broken.
Jiangsu Suning will pay around $56 million for Brazilian striker Alex Teixeira, currently with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, the club’s manager said this week.
That’s $10 million more than leading Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande paid earlier this week to sign Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez — a record transfer price for the burgeoning Chinese Super League (CSL).
Shakhtar has “agreed on all the necessary formalities for the transfer of Alex Teixeira to the Chinese club,” it said in a statement.
The striker is expected to join Jiangsu in time for the start of the new CSL season in March. He will join compatriot Ramires, who signed for the club for $36 million last month, and former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu, who manages Jiangsu.
Big spenders
Teixeira’s sale is the latest in a series of big moves by Chinese clubs, which have been spending lavishly as they attempt to pad out their benches following the closure of Europe’s transfer window on Monday.
Chinese clubs can sign players until February 26, after forking out nearly $150 million before the end of January.
Signing foreigners is nothing new for Chinese clubs, who have been operating under a 4+1 policy (four internationals plus one Asian Football Confederation player) since the league was formed 12 years ago.
In the past, foreign players signed by Chinese clubs have largely been untested youngsters or experienced players past their prime — such as former Chelsea star Didier Drogba, who had an underwhelming season at Shanghai Shenhua before departing for Turkey.
Now however, European sides are increasingly finding themselves outbid for top talent by Chinese clubs. Liverpool had attempted to sign Teixeira, only to have the Ukrainian side turn down their reported offer of $50 million to accept more from Jiangsu.