European football is the place to be for the world’s top talent, but for a few years, some star players traded a shot at Champions League glory for a monstrous pay rise and the chance to be a leading star in the Chinese Super League. The highest-earning players there were earning a small fortune every week.
Most of the players who went were big names who were reaching the end of their careers but some promising talent and stars in their prime made the move before a salary cap was introduced in 2021.
Many accuse the players who move of lacking the ambition to compete at the top level but with some of the salaries on offer you can hardly blame some of the players for turning down a bench place at a European giant in exchange for stardom in China.
From ex-Premier League cult heroes to South American superstars, we’ve listed the top earners to ever play in the Chinese Super League. Some have since moved on to early retirement or pastures new, whilst others are still enjoying their time in Asia.
10. Marouane Fellaini
Once a divisive but effective player at Manchester United, the imposing Belgian made the switch to Shandong Luneng in February 2019 after nearly six years at Old Trafford.
A reported salary of around £205,000 per week was pretty much in line with his salary at United, and the 34-year-old has proven to be a good asset in the CSL with 21 goals in 57 appearances.
He no longer has his iconic afro, but Fellaini still remains a useful midfielder or auxiliary target man after all these years.
9. Eder
A former Italy international who started at Euro 2016, the striker traded Inter for their former partner club Jiangsu Suning in 2018, increasing his wages to £213,000 per week.
Eder scored 32 times in 62 games before his club was eventually dissolved in 2021, and he joined Sao Paulo in Brazil.
However, his time at Jiangsu Suning wasn’t all glamour and goals. The club share the same owners as Inter, and after the dissolution of the club, Inter went through…
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