Javier finds his Fortune

Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune has signed Argentine utility player Javier Mascherano to a multiyear contract worth 5.5 million euros (about $6.7 million), the club announced on Wednesday.

Mascherano, who just ended a seven-year stint with Spanish league giant Barcelona, will join his former national teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi, a veteran striker acquired by China Fortune last February, in a competitive squad managed by Chilean former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

“The arrival of Mascherano will significantly enhance our roster defensively, and we expect greater chemistry to be built between him and Lavezzi to give the team a competitive edge,” the club said in a statement on its website.

“Hopefully, the combination of the Argentine duo with a strong local lineup will help the team stay ahead of competitors in the new season.”

Mascherano’s signing is so far the CSL’s only high-profile acquisition since a new Chinese Football Association introduced spending restrictions.

Following the CSL clubs’ $410 million outlay in the 2016-17 transfer window, the CFA imposed a threshold of 45 million yuan (about $7 million) last June to curb excessive spending on foreign imports.

Any club signing a new foreign player for a transfer fee exceeding the benchmark now has to pay an amount equal to the excess into a youth development foundation overseen by the CFA.