It's not going to be that bad. Though I know Hubei I had to look up Qinhuangdao ! The beautiful city of Dalian isn't that far away (same distance as Beijing perhaps) and Tianjin is much closer. It's only an hour's flight to Beijing so no hassle at all. Also he is the 4th foreigner after Gervinho, Mbia and Kukato (sp.) to join Hebei Fortune so he's not alone.
Chinese League
- Thread starter SilentWitness
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Jesus. Somehow I can't see Rooney doing us the favour and going there.
I'm not sure he'd want a house (I live in one - all houses are in compounds), there's too much hassle (build quality, issues with electric, water etc.). More likely a luxury apartment and I'd demand one in Beijing too (though maybe staying in some of the exquisite hotels would be more fun). With Beijing an hour's flight away he won't have any issues finding entertainment. This isn't like living in Western China ! But like you say ... 3 years and he's set for life, no need to try his hand as a Carra or Nev.
I'd probably say he's set for life already wouldn't you?!
I reckon I could live off a year of 30k a week for life pretty comfortably! 400k a week is just silly.
It's not that bad out here! Although I am sure a lot different to Shanghai.
Nicklas Bendtner is the latest rumour. I was watching an Arsenal game in the pub a few years back and all the Chinese Arsenal fans went mental when he came on as a substitute so maybe they will appreciate his greatness.
I think £400k is a mistake converting from a 2 year contract. £200k is more like it but still way off market.£400k!?!?!?
Free? feck that, they better be paying up!
With his wages, we would be extremely lucky to not have to pay him off. He's been shite for a long time now, and is the best paid player in the premiership! The suits will be few and far between.
Nah, he's still a mega superstar and is still one of the big names in world football. Not sure he'll be willing to go and play in China but I'm sure more Chinese clubs would be trying their hand at him in the summer.
How will these players be seen. Is the Chinese league even on TV?
Ah mate, I love it out there, but only for photography and birding ! Otherwise Shanghai is a pretty cool place to live, with occasional trips to other places of interest in this fascinating country. Though not BJ, too damn polluted.
Yes. In China it's popular with many matches shown live.
I visited Chengdu and Chongqing just over a year ago. I considered living in Chengdu I liked it so much. The Food is amazing!
I had a girlfriend from Hebei. She tells me it's the most polluted province in the country, and that's saying something. So I hope Lavezzi and co bring their gas masks. I couldn't live in those conditions, it's disgusting.
Should imagine they'd be massive superstars over there, they'd be pretty much forgot about over here though.
Having said that, when you are clearing 250k a week, I doubt you are that arsed. Let's face facts, as good as Lavezzi is, he's never worth that figure. He barely featured for PSG.
You cant really blame them for going , being offered that amount of money.
Lavezzi mustn't thought all his Christmases came at once.
Lavezzi mustn't thought all his Christmases came at once.
can we not get one of them to pay a shed load of money for some of our dead wood !
The biggest coal exporting port in China, says something.
Think the Chinese league may be a threat to the MLS well at least till their current president stays in power.
Neither do I. No doubt there will be a £30m+ bid in the summer, the problem is we already pay him a fortune so it will take an astronomical wage offer for him to even entertain the idea. Not to mention he’s got a young family so moving to China will not be something he’ll want to do.
Think China would be a pretty decent place to go and live earning that kind of money - I had never been overly interested in seeing Asia to be honest but travelled around Vietnam last year and it totally changed my view. It was a fantastic place, a couple of the people we spent time with in Vietnam are now living in China and sound like they actually prefer it, so I'll definitely be heading that way at some point in the not too distant future.
That said, I think I'd still rather head to Florida or LA to earn the big money given the option....
That said, I think I'd still rather head to Florida or LA to earn the big money given the option....
Chengdu is great. It's changed quite a lot since I've been here, when I first got here you'd rarely see any foreigners but there are a lot more now. It kind of forced me into learning the language and I ended up doing a degree in Chinese Language at Sichuan University. I like Chongqing too but it's a lot easier to live in Chengdu.
I've never actually been to Shanghai and only been to Beijing briefly but Beijing is definitely not somewhere I'd want to live!
I had a look through the Chinese forums and most people are saying they are coming for the opportunity to play and also for the money. They are also saying they hope it improves the national team although they think it will take a long time and they still don't think the best players will come at the top of their game, they'll prefer to stay in Europe. The standard of Chinese players is pretty low, the small league we play in had the Sichuan youth team in it and they were awful. Although some were really quick and technically pretty good they were really poor as a team.
They mostly seem pleased that they are coming but a bit sceptical. A few of them said they were just happy to be able to go and see good players live.
China are offering these players like double the money and more.
It's the place to go this year, and former Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins is the latest player to make the move to the Chinese Premier League.
Martins, who has been with Seattle Sounders since 2013, posted a goodbye message on Twitter confirming his departure to join Shanghai Shenhua, saying it is time for a "new challenge".
Martins, who has been with Seattle Sounders since 2013, posted a goodbye message on Twitter confirming his departure to join Shanghai Shenhua, saying it is time for a "new challenge".
Chris Bascombe has been on Twitter saying Balotelli may be the next one off to China.
*Gets down on knees - prays fervently - just our money back will do*
I was surprised Martins was still around in the football world. I had to google him and I have to say one of the biggest surprises so far in my life appeared. Apparently he's 31 years old
I think 38 is much closer to the truth.A player I think could go to the Chinese league is the gracious Graziano Pelle. Typical "too late to reach anything" kind of player. Same as with Jackson.
It's a choice of being a nobody or being at least a rich nobody.
It's a choice of being a nobody or being at least a rich nobody.
It's only going to be so long that China will allow themselves to be the dustbin that Eurpean clubs drop their rubbish/aging players into, & I think even they may draw the line at Ballotelli myself.
We should really be all over this in the summer whilst they're in this frame of mind, Rooney, Fellaini, Valencia, & Rojo could all find a home there, and we could easily get £60-£70 million combined.
It's just a shame that LvG was allowed to strip the sqaud bare before China came on to the scene, RVP, Nani, Rafael, Hernandez, Evra, etc could have fetched £100 million + combined easily if they could have been persuaded to go.
Matter of time before they put an offer in for Bendtner but he'll probably say the country is not big enough for him.
Not sure if you saw this?
http://www.football365.com/news/bendtner-to-earn-105000-a-week-in-china-report
Balotelli in China, that would have to be on tv every week, must see drama.
Didn't but him going to China was as inevitable as the water I'm drinking now turning into piss in a few hours. They may as well name the Chinese league The European Championship.
Shit, players must be calling their agents constantly to check whether a bid has come in or not. Why hang around here? Wages will explode from now on with the fans paying for it.
Anyway, the west has been outsourcing its dirty work to China for years.
I'm hoping for the same with the likes of Balotelli and Benteke. I think they'd go as far as paying £35 million for both of them.
You could have had a nice sum for Van Persie and Nani for sure.
Poses a credible threat to the MLS i would think.
MLS has been seen as the retirement home of football for a while now, but if players can get 2 or 3 times the wages in China, why not. It would appear China have no wage caps and less restrictive taxes too.
Also, whats the chances Ronaldo gets an offer when he leaves Real. He's never made a secret of the fact he wants to build his brand more than anything and China i suspect offers him the biggest market in the world.
MLS has been seen as the retirement home of football for a while now, but if players can get 2 or 3 times the wages in China, why not. It would appear China have no wage caps and less restrictive taxes too.
Also, whats the chances Ronaldo gets an offer when he leaves Real. He's never made a secret of the fact he wants to build his brand more than anything and China i suspect offers him the biggest market in the world.
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Can't see that happening for atleast some years. Being a Real Madrid player is better for his brand than being a player from some chines club.
What happens next year when they want a bigger shinnier toy? They can only have 3-4 foreigners depending on the tournament.
They'll happily bin a players contract, like just happened to Tim Cahill.
Also, IIRC, it's only 4 in a matchday squad, so they could have more for rotation, though it'd be incredibly daft to pay that kind of coin for squad depth.