Chinese Super League has been a waking giant in the recent years, with numerous European football stars suddenly moving to the Chinese premier division. The reason? Despite what anyone might say, it is the money, and there is plenty of that in the Chinese top flight.
Teams like Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai Shenhua have spared no costs to bring many European top players to their ranks, especially when those players’ European careers have not been going too well. For the most part it is the aging and out of form players who move to China for much more money than they were making in Europe but the recent rumors that Diego Costa may be leaving Chelsea for a Chinese club have shocked the world.
Costa has been having a great season at Chelsea, scoring 15 goals in 24 matches, making him first on the season’s goal scorers list for the EPL. At the age of 28, there seems to be little reason for the Spaniard to leave Chelsea but there has been plenty of speculation that a massive offer was on the table and neither Chelsea nor Costa would be able to refuse it.
What’s In The Cards?
There has been plenty of speculation of Chelsea being offered massive amounts of money for the striker by the Chinese clubs.
The Blues have had plenty of dealings with the Chinese sides in the past as Demba Ba, Ramires and most recently Oscar have all left Europe in pursuit of bigger wages and more glory among a different crowd.
Most recently, speculation has emerged that Oscar, Costa’s former teammate has been encouraging him to make the move to China, which has ticked off Chelsea to a degree and it would appear that the Blues have put a rather hefty price on their star striker, in the neighbourhood of about £130 Million.
Whether or not any of the Chinese clubs are willing to cough up that kind of money for the striker and offer him competitive wages, remains to be seen. What we do know is that the Chinese interest in this particular player has been real and given Chelsea’s past dealings with the Super League sides and their general propensity to love doing business, it would not come as a massive shock if the move did happen before the year is out.
The Trend Of Leaving Europe
For many European players, leaving Europe for Chinese or American clubs has been a massively profitable financial decision.
The likes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard have taken their waning European careers and turned them into massively profitable ones abroad, while players such as Tim Cahill or Mohamad Sissoko have signed deals with the Chinese clubs to secure their future and make significant amounts of money. Even Luis Felipe Scolari has left the continent following his debacle with Brazil at the World Cup and rebuilt his career by winning the AFC Champions League with Guangzhou Evergrande.
Diego Costa, unlike many of these players, is actually at the peak of his career and an integral part of coach Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. As such, it would be much more difficult for him to leave the team and a very risky decision for Chelsea to sell him. While a suitable substitute may be found, it is hard to know how well a new striker will fit into the team and such decisions are always a gamble.
Costa Integral To Chelsea Success
Chelsea are currently sitting at the top of the pack in English Premier League, 9 points clear of their closest rivals and quite content with their situation. Costa has played a big part in this, scoring 15 goals so far this season and being by far one of the most important players for the team.
Conte and the team owners may be contemplating allowing him to move to China, but the fact remains that any such move would greatly disturb the balance of powers inside the team itself and it is a decision that may prove detrimental in the future.
The bookies are currently pricing Chelsea at 4/11 to win the EPL, as the Blues are absolutely destroying everything in their sights, but whether this would still be the case with Costa gone is a matter of much debate. You can place bets on Chelsea and their individual player performances at http://www.critical-reviews.com/betbright/ and leave us with your predictions and comments about Diego Costa’s potential move in the comments section.