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The lure of the Chinese Super League has been around for some time, with big-name players such as Oscar, Yannick Carrasco, Paulinho and Ezequiel Lavezzi amongst others plying their trade in China at the moment.
Unlike the European winter transfer window which closed on January 31st, the Chinese Super League transfer window closed last week on 28th February. Like each window, a host of players moved East to China.
Here we take a look at 4 big-name players who made the move to China in this transfer window.
4. Sandro Wagner - Tianjin Teda
The 31-year old spent his entire career in Germany before making the move to China. A product of the Bayern Munich academy, Wagner failed to make the cut for the Bavarians as he made just 8 appearances for the German giants before moving down a league to MSV Duisburg.
A move back to the top flight followed with Werder Bremen two years later, but once again Wagner failed to make it count as the striker raked up a poor return of 5 goals.
A loan to Kaiserslautern was soon followed by a permanent move to Hertha Berlin. 3 seasons with Die Alte Dame was followed by a season with Darmstadt. It turned out to be the breakthrough move for the striker as Wagner scored 15 goals in 34 appearances and guided the club to safety from relegation.
A move to Hoffenheim followed the next season as the striker impressed once again in the league resulting in a return to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window last year.
Game time at Bayern Munich was hard to come by as he spent more time on the bench rather than on the field due to the prolific form of Robert Lewandowski.
Finally, Wagner asked the Bavarian giants to terminate his contract as he grew frustrated with his lack of game time. The German international finally made his move to China after Bayern Munich accepted a €5 million bid from Tianjin Teda.
The striker scored 81 goals in 349 appearances in the German league.
3. Mousa Dembele - Guangzhou R&F
One of the best Belgian players of all time and part of their golden generation, Mousa Dembele's stint with Tottenham Hotspur made him a household name in the world of football.
Dembele started his career in Belgium before making the short trip to the Netherlands to join Willem II. The midfielder gathered interest from AZ after impressing with Willem II. The Belgian spent 4 seasons with AZ Alkmaar and was part of the team that won only the second Eredieviesa in the history of the club, playing a pivotal role under Louis Van Gaal.
The performance in the Netherlands saw English club Fulham buying the midfielder from the Dutch club in 2010. Two seasons with the Cottagers was followed by a move to another London club, Tottenham Hotspur.
It was with the Lilywhites that the Belgian midfielder showcased his best performances. The midfielder played a pivotal role in the Tottenham midfield as the London clubs reduced the gap between the top 4 clubs in England and themselves, thus being pivotal in establishing the big 6.
Big, powerful and technically gifted, the midfielder spent six-and-a-half seasons with Tottenham. Within the time, the Belgian established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. However, he was hampered with injuries during the later stages of his Tottenham career. His last game with Spurs was against Wolves in early November, when he picked up an ankle ligament injury.
Mousa Dembele moved to the Chinese Super League on the 17th of January for a reported fee of €11 million, joining Guangzhou R&F.
The Belgian made a total of 242 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and scored 10 times and is still regarded as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world.
2. Marek Hamsik - Dalian Yifang
The all-time leading goal scorer and appearance maker for Napoli in their history, Marek Hamsik has been a one of the clubs greatest ever if not the greatest servant.
The Slovakian started his career in his native nation with Slovan Bratislava. A single season with the club was followed by a move to Italian side Brescia in the 2004-05 season. After a season in Serie A, Brescia found themselves relegated and back in the second tier.
It was in his second season that the Slovak started catching the eyes as the then-teenager made himself a mainstay in the Brescia midfield. The third season saw the attacking midfielder showing his potential as he played 40 games and scored 10 goals in an impressive season.
The young Hamsik had now made a mark and joined newly promoted Serie A team Napoli. From the first day, the Slovak established himself in Napoli's midfield. He made an impressive 37 league appearances and scored 9 goals in his first season with the club.
There was no looking back for the Slovak as he helped Napoli to Champions League qualification just 3 years after their promotion to Serie A. The attacking midfielder continued with his impressive performances as Napoli started to challenge the top dogs in Italian football for the coveted Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona.
Hamsik spent a total of 11-and-a-half seasons at the San Paolo Stadium, writing himself in the history books of Napoli. He made an impressive 520 appearances and scored 121 goals for the Gli Azzurri.
After much speculation, Hamsik finally moved to China and joined Dalian Yifang for a reported fee of around €13 million
1. Marouane Fellaini - Shandong Luneng
After much speculation, Marouane Fellaini finally made his move to the Chinese Super League at the end of the January transfer window, joining Shandong Luneng.
One of the most recognisable football players in the world when he had his large afro hair, Fellaini started his career in his native Belgium with Standard Liege. The Belgian talents quickly caught the eye of Premier League side Everton, who came calling for the tall Belgian two seasons later.
It was on Merseyside that the Belgian first made a name for himself as a midfielder. The Belgian's aerial prowess, his physicality and his heading ability quickly established himself as an Everton mainstay.
Five-and-a-half seasons on Merseyside was followed by a move to Manchester as Fellaini rejoined former boss David Moyes at the Theatre of Dreams.
His time at Manchester United saw the Belgian midfielder get a mixed response from the fans. Fellaini was singled out in many cases for the drop in Manchester United's playing standards and was often criticised for his poor technical skills on the ball.
The first season was more of a struggle for Fellaini as he failed to establish himself in the Manchester United midfield. The arrival of Louis Van Gaal gave the tall midfielder a chance to make amends. The Dutch coach saw the positives in Fellaini and started using the big Belgian to his advantages.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho saw Fellaini having his best time for Manchester United. The Portuguese coach quickly transformed Fellaini into his secret weapon or as he called his "Plan B". The big Belgian was brought on from the bench in matches where Manchester United faced defeat.
After Mourinho sacking, new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted for pacey players and Fellaini didn't make the cut. So, he made his move to Shandong Luneng for a reported fee of £10.5 million.
Fellaini made a combined total of 354 appearances for Everton and Manchester United.
