The Borneo Post

Shadowy figures circle for ‘daunting’ China transfer window

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SHANGHAI: Lukas Podolski rejected China because of “dark channels” and one prominent football agent warned that getting transfer deals done there was muddied by shadowy figures ramping up prices.

Welcome to the murky business of the Chinese transfer window, which creaks open on June 18 for four weeks of wheeler- dealing while most people are watching the World Cup in Russia.

Transfer deals are notoriousl­y opaque in any country, but experts said that China – a relatively new global football frontier suffused by seemingly endless cash and ambition – presents some unique challenges.

German former internatio­nal star Podolski last year turned down Chinese clubs to join Vissel Kobe in Japan and the striker later shed a rare light on how transfer business gets done in China.

“Sure, it’s tempting to hear you could earn EUR15m to EUR20m in China, but the way of negotiatin­g – with eight, nine agents sometimes interferin­g – is close to that of criminals,” Podolski, now 33, told Sport Bild.

And while the wages might be higher in the Chinese Super League ( CSL) than a lmost anywhere else, “what goes into your account in the end will be significan­tly less given all the dark channels involved”.

Leon Angel, chairman of Base Soccer Agency in London, said that he was “constantly receiving interest” from China in his clients, including Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Ashley Young, all in England’s World Cup squad.

Podolski’s experience is familiar to Angel, who has completed “several” deals to China including for striker Demba Ba, who joined Shanghai Shenhua in 2015.

“It’s no secret that in the past there has been corruption in Chinese football, but when you head into the unknown, it’s daunting if you don’t know who you have to deal with,” said Angel, one of the few agents to reply to AFP’s request for comment on the sensitive issue of transfers.

Sure, it’s tempting to hear you could earn EUR15m to EUR20m in China, but the way of negotiatin­g – with eight, nine agents sometimes interferin­g – is close to that of criminals. Lukas Podolski

“Transfer negotiatio­ns in China are often very complicate­d due to the number of third- party intermedia­ries that somehow are involved in the possible transactio­ns.

“It is very rare for a Chinese club to directly approach the selling club in Europe or official intermedia­ry of the player.

“Instead, the majority of the time this is done through third parties who drive up the prices and often do not have control of the situation, leading to confusion.”

Chinese clubs have in the last two years made a string of eyecatchin­g signings.

In January 2017, Brazilian attacking midfielder Oscar left Chelsea for Shanghai SIPG for an Asian-record EUR60 million. He admitted he moved for the money.

R iva l s Shenhua s i g ne d Argentine striker Carlos Tevez on wages reported at the time to be the highest in the world of EUR730,000 a week. He quit after one disappoint­ing season, saying it had been “a holiday”.

But it is not just big names arriving in China for overinflat­ed wages and transfer fees.

One Belgian agent said there was widespread incredulit­y there when Tianjin Teda signed the winger Frank Acheampong for a reported EUR6.5 million from Anderlecht, where the Ghanaian was out of favour.

Xu Ting, who is certified as an agent by the Chinese Football Associatio­n ( CFA), said: “The huge transfer fees do not bring players who match the price, but are the money- making tools of some vested interests.”

President Xi Jinping is on a drive to improve Chinese football from grassroots to internatio­nal level, but Xu warned these “vested interests” – among them club officials in charge of transfer budgets and agents – are holding back government ambitions.

 ??  ?? This file picture taken on July 29, 2017 showsVisse­l Kobe’s Lukas Podolski (left) celebratin­g his first goal with his teammates during the J-League football match against Omiya Ardija in Kobe. — AFP photo
This file picture taken on July 29, 2017 showsVisse­l Kobe’s Lukas Podolski (left) celebratin­g his first goal with his teammates during the J-League football match against Omiya Ardija in Kobe. — AFP photo

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