A looming threat encircles the footballing world as Chinese football clubs look to lure players from all over the world to improve the standards of the Chinese Super League. Many talented players have fallen prey to the cash-rich league in Asia with Chelsea's Oscar being the latest player to move there.
According to the Daily Mirror, two Chinese clubs have made Wayne Rooney their no. 1 target and are willing to pay as much as £700,000 per week to the England and Manchester United captain to head to China next year. Two Chinese Super League clubs, namely Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Beijing Guoan, have made Rooney their prime target and are willing to pay him an astronomical figure to secure his services.
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Evergrande are the richest club in China and their wish of taking Chinese football to the next level could be achieved with a star signing like Wayne Rooney. His signing would improve the stature of CSL, whose reputation has been on the rise since the mega money signings of Oscar by Shanghai SIPG and Carlos Tevez by rivals, Shanghai Shenhua.
The English striker has struggled to find a regular starting position for both club and country as Jose Mourinho has opted to start with Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic instead of the 31-year-old striker. His drinking controversy when on national duty also created quite a furore in England and Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate reassuring English fans about the importance of Rooney to the team.
Rooney is currently earning a staggering £300,00 per week currently and has two years remaining on his current contract. He can double his weekly wages if he accepts an offer of China with club Beijing Guoan already offering a contract in the summer.
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His agent Paul Stretford earlier this year confirmed that Rooney was offered a contract but opted to play for the Red Devils. Rooney is just one goal behind Sir Bobby Charlton's record of Manchester United's all-time top scorer.
Tevez, Oscar sign for Chinese clubs
Meanwhile, Carlos Tevez is set to become the world's highest-paid footballer when he signs for Shanghai Shenhua in the coming days. The former Juventus striker will earn £615,000 per week while Shanghai's rivals, SIPG confirmed the signing of Oscar to rival Shenhua's big money move.
Oscar's move to China is said to be worth £52 million, which will see the 25-year-old Brazilian playmaker earn £400,000 per week.
