China’s Tianjin dismiss Costa swoop rumours
CHINA’S Tianjin Quanjin appear to have shut the door on a rumoured megamoney swoop for Chelsea’s Diego Costa or any other “excessive” spending, amid a government crackdown on high-priced foreign imports.
The Bra z i l ia n-bor n Spa i n st r i ker has since Januar y been the subject of repeated specu lat ion t hat he could join Super League club Tianjin when Chi na’s su mmer t ra nsfer w i ndow opens next month and become t he latest in a wave of big-money foreign signings.
Tianjin issued a statement saying they have “had no communications or negotiations in any form with Diego Costa or his agent team regarding a transfer”.
Echoing the official talking points of China’s spending crackdown, the statement said the club would base any future transfers on the “sustainable development” of the Chinese Super League.
“[ We] will not engage in any sort of unhealthy competition and will put a stop to any excessive pricing,” said the statement, issued on Tuesday.
Various reports have speculated in recent months that a deal was brewing to pay Chelsea’s Costa tens of millions of dollars per year.
Coached by Italy’s World Cup champion Fabio Cannavaro, Tianjin have foreign talent to challenge for the Super League title but have so far failed to strike any mega-deals.
Armed with a considerable war chest, they have tried to land Borussia Dortmund’s highly rated striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang and Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney.
They have a lso been l i n ked to a € 60 million bid for Monaco’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and a € 50 million approach for France’s Anthony Modeste, who plays for Germany’s FC Cologne.
Instead, Tianjin ended up with players such as Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel for € 20 million and out-of-favour former Brazilian boy wonder Pato for € 18 million.
President Xi Jinping has expressed hope of China host ing a nd eventua lly winning a World Cup, a big ask for a nationa l side now ranked just 81 in t he world.
The country’s top companies and richest entrepreneurs have responded by rushing to buy stakes in overseas clubs and import foreign players in a series of record-breaking transfers, including Chelsea midfielder Oscar’s Asian-record, € 60 million move to Shanghai SIPG this season.
But t he f lood of cash prompted a back la sh f rom aut hor it ies wor r ied about la rger issues of i r responsible spend i ng i n Ch i na’s economy a s g row t h slows, a nd t he gover nment t his season placed new rest rict ions on club spending a nd reduced t he number of foreig n players t hey ca n have in t heir squads.