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Only in the past few years has China rose to prominence in the footballing world - mainly thanks to their outlandish spending on world-class players. Like the MLS, the Chinese Super League has no real pedigree or prestige, therefore the only way to attract players is to offer them absurd wages-per-week; this is a lot more difficult for the former, however, as there is a cap on wages, whereas in China, just about anything goes.
It's become quite controversial now for players to head to China to play football, as it reveals their true colours, following their greedy desires to be paid exorbitant wages, rather than focusing on achieving something worthwhile.
Most recently, Marko Arnautovic has tried to force a move out of West Ham United, a Premier League club, to head to some obscure Chinese team; his agent (his brother) claims it's always been a dream for Arnautovic to play there, which is perhaps the most laughable excuse they could have put forth, but this shows that players are willing to risk their careers fading away for a short-term financial boost.
With that being said, however, there are certainly some world-class players in the Chinese Super League right now, and in this list, we'll go through ten of the best currently competing with their respective sides for the title.
#10 Alexandre Pato (Tianjin Tianhai)
Alexandre Pato is a 29-year-old striker who plays for Tianjin Tianhai. He has also featured for Brazil's national team, having made 27 appearances since his debut back in March 2008.
Pato rose to prominence after his move to AC Milan in the summer of 2007 for a fee of around £21m from Internacional. He remained in Italy for over five years, netting an impressive 51 goals in 89 appearances, before leaving to join Corinthians. This sparked the gradual decline of his career, as he spent the next two seasons out on loan; firstly with Sao Paulo, before then joining Chelsea.
His time at Stamford Bridge was rather dismal and he spent more time on the bench than he did on the pitch, which is why he wasn't offered a permanent contract once his loan deal expired.
He promptly joined Villarreal six days after returning from Chelsea, this time the move was permanent. Yet he was only with the Spanish side for six months before he joined Tianjin Tianhai, the club he's been with for the last two years, for around £16m.
Pato is currently tearing up the Chinese Super League, scoring for the fun of it. He's on 15 goals in 23 matches, with three assists to his name. Could he be back in the top-tier of football one day?
#9 Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan)
Renato Augusto began his career with Brazilian side Flamengo, before earning a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2008. Here he scored 6 goals in 43 appearances over the course of four years, before returning to Brazil, this time playing for Corinthians.
Three years passed at Corinthians and nothing much was heard from him in that time, certainly not enough to warrant a big move, which is what he had expected. FC Schalke were willing to take a chance on him, but he demanded wages of €8m per-season and was turned down.
However, that's when Beijing Guoan swung in from out of nowhere, offering him a €6.5m per-year salary, which he accepted. He now dictates the midfield virtually every match with no real challenge. Many have suggested that he'd be better off playing in Europe, but with the amount he's being paid right now, it's unlikely that he's going to move any time soon.
#8 Mousa Dembele (Guangzhou R&F)
It came as a surprise to many Spurs fans when it was announced that Dembele was leaving. He might be 31 years old but was still performing consistently in the Tottenham midfield, earning a place in the first team, week in, week out. His contract was due to expire in the summer, but with him being a key player in the Spurs line-up, it seemed likely that he would be kept on.
Dembele agreed to a deal with Guangzhou R&F and will spend the next couple of years there, aiming to win the title by the end of it. There's no doubt that he will be an asset to the side, and is sure to appreciate how much slower the league's football will be compared to that of the Premier League.
#7 Alex Teixeira (Jiangsu Suning)
It came as a shock to many people when Alex Teixeira turned down the chance of joining Liverpool in the Premier League, to instead join Jiangsu Suning in the Chinese Super League. Of course, money had played a huge part in his decision to join them over the Reds, but it was still a strange move by the Brazilian.
Teixeira is an attacking midfielder with a great deal of flair, able to weave in and out of defenders before either eyeing up a shot or laying it off for a teammate.
He's scored 13 goals in 28 matches, assisting a further four. Without a doubt, Teixeira could still perform in a division like the Premier League, but he's now 29 years old, meaning that he may have missed out on the opportunity.
#6 Hulk (Shanghai SIPG)
Hulk made the switch to the Chinese Super League in the summer of 2016 from Russian side Zenit. A reported £50m was spent on the Brazilian, then 30, and it appears to have paid off. Living up to his name, Hulk has a very bulky stature, which some have argued is more fat at this age, than genuine muscle, but either way, he continues to tear up the league.
Hulk has scored 13 goals and assisted 12 so far this season, proving himself to be a key player in the Shanghai side. With the amount of money he's being paid, Hulk is probably planning to stay with Shanghai until he retires.
#5 Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang)
Yannick Carrasco was flying high with Atletico Madrid in La Liga when he was offered to join Dalian Yifang in the Chinese Super League. The transfer fee paid for him was around £27m, but the amount he's likely to be paid will be astronomical - it had to have been in order to pry him away from a club as prestigious as Atletico.
Many thought that he would be far too good for the Chinese league, yet he's only scored seven and assisted five over the span of 25 matches, which pales in comparison to the other players on this list. That being said, though, he still possesses a great deal of skill on the ball, which just begs the question whether he's the right fit for Dalian Yifang.
Most fans will be hoping for Carrasco to either return to Atletico Madrid next summer or attempt to revive his almost stagnant career at a top club elsewhere in Europe, as the hope that was once there for him is now beginning to fade.
#4 Cedric Bakambu (Beijing Sinobo Guoan)
Another player who lefts the heights of La Liga to join a Chinese club is Cedric Bakambu. He was a rising star with Bursaspor before he joined Villarreal in 2015. He gradually made his way through the ranks, before becoming a first-team regular by 2017. In his final season, he had already scored nine goals in 15 matches, but was whisked away by January to join Beijing Sinobo Guoan for around £36m.
There's no doubting that Bakambu is a top talent in football right now, and his tally of 19 goals in 23 matches in China shows just that. Bakambu reportedly turned down the likes of Everton and West Ham to join the Chinese Super League. He is now 27, though, which is when a player enters their peak, so should he ever choose the Premier League in the future, now would be the best time.
#3 Talisca (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao)
Talisca is a 24-year-old attacking midfielder who rose to prominence during his loan deal with Besiktas from Benfica. He was already being eyed as a promising youngster before then, but his performances in Turkey showcased what he was capable of. He had been linked with teams like Chelsea and Manchester United before his loan deal with Guangzhou Evergrande in the summer of 2018.
The loan deal expired by December, but Guangzhou signed him for around £17m once the transfer window opened, keen to keep a hold of their star man.
Like Bakambu, Talisca has been scoring prolifically in the Chinese Super League, with a staggering 16 goals in just 18 games, with four assists. This amount of goals is nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider that he's an attacking midfielder, not an all-out striker.
#2 Oscar (Shanghai SIPG)
Many people will know Oscar from his time with Chelsea in the Premier League. The babyfaced attacking midfielder was a force to behold in the final third and is showing that right now in the Chinese Super League. He signed for Shanghai in January 2017 for around £54m and has been an asset to their side ever since.
With 18 assists and 12 goals in just 29 matches, Oscar appears to be the lynchpin in the Shanghai side, and they currently look set for the title with the way things stand. Perhaps all thanks to Oscar's brilliance up front.
Despite being around for what seems like an eternity, Oscar is still only 27 years old, so has plenty of time remaining in his career to move elsewhere, should he decide that he's had enough of the Super League. There are surely more prestigious competitions out there for a player of his calibre to challenge for.
#1 Paulinho (Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao)
In a strange string of events, Paulinho joined Guangzhou Evergrande from Spurs in 2015; two years later, he would sign for Barcelona for around £36m; then, he was loaned back to Guangzhou Evergrande for a season, before he eventually signed back permanently with them for £37m in January 2019.
Many rumours were swirling about why Paulinho went back to the Chinese Super League, but the main theory revolves around his lack of fitness. He apparently got so used to the laid back style of play in China that when it came time to show up in La Liga, he was simply outclassed.
This may be due to his age, as he's now 30 years old, but in the Chinese Super League, he is a cut above everybody else, even the up-and-coming youngsters like Talisca. He is against easy opposition, therefore can do whatever he likes in the midfield, without the worry of any real challenge.
On top of this, Paulinho still sporadically plays for Brazil, which indicates that he's still got the ability to show up in big matches, just perhaps not as regularly as he used to.
