Diego’s China move would Costa fortune
DieGO COsTA will cost Tianjin Quanjian a world-record £ 152million if his move to China goes ahead this summer.
The Chelsea striker’s £76m price tag would be subject to a Chinese FA (CFA) 100 per cent ‘tax’ on the Chinese super League clubs’ bigmoney transfers.
Chinese teams who make a loss now have to match the fees for their signings with a payment into a CFA development fund — placing a major block on moves for the likes of Costa and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea looked set to receive £76m from Tianjin Quanjian — but the ‘tax’ would shatter the £89m record set by Paul Pogba’s move from Juventus to United last summer. Costa’s wages would be £620,000 a week — after tax.
The CFA say the rules are being put in place ‘in order to limit professional clubs from pursuing short-term results; blindly trying to match (each other’s) highpriced signings’.
A statement read: ‘ From the 2017 summer transfer window, loss-making clubs will be charged an adjustment fee for foreign signings.
‘Clubs signing players through capital expenditure will be charged the same amount, with the full sum going to the Chinese Football Development Foundation to train young players, promote social football and soccer charity activities.’
insiders believe that all the Chinese clubs who have been signing big-name players from european teams fit the ‘ lossmaking’ definition.
it has been suggested the new rules could spell the end of clubs’ big spending but improving teams with stars from the West remains popular.
Tianjin denied they had spoken to the spain striker earlier this week, contradicting owner shu Yuhui’s public statements of recent months.
CsL teams will also need to field at least one Chinese player under 23 for every foreigner in their start- ing Xi in a move the CFA hope will encourage the development of the national team.
Former Chelsea midfielders Oscar — for a £52m fee — and Ramires, ex-Watford striker Odion ighalo and Graziano Pelle, formerly of southampton, are among the big-name stars to have quit the Premier League for China in the past 18 months.
Sportsmail has revealed that ezequiel Lavezzi is the world’s highest paid player, on £798,000 a week at Hebei China Fortune.