Confirmed Transfers

The Ping Ping Chinese Football Association Super League, that is, China's first division soccer league, began play on Friday with 16 teams playing 30 games from now until December.

China wants to be a powerhouse in this sport. This country has made some efforts to be recognized in world soccer.

In fact, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a state plan for China to host the 2030 World Cup and win the World Cup before the end of the 21st century. And he also has taken selfies with players like Sergio Aguero.

This January’s transfer window was something of an oddity. Instead of the usual headlines involving the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain, the biggest story came out of China. The Chinese Super League, CSL, spent $278 million during the winter transfer window, outspending the $250 million dropped by the Premier League. So, we decided to take a look at the top paid footballers in China today.

How much value can be gained in the January transfer window? Well, it all really depends who you ask and the circumstances surrounding any given transfer.

Football pundits, coaches and administrators in Germany and further throughout the continent see spending in January as a sign of weakness that reflects a complete lack of planning from a club.

Three of the best Colombian players have just left well known clubs from Europe and landed in the Chinese Super League, where their new teams paid a lot of money for them.

The latest to sign to play in the Far East is Jackson Martinez. Martinez failed to convince at Atletico de Madrid, the team that bought him last summer for €35 million and has now sold him for €42 million euro to Guangzhou Evergrande. Atletico made €7 million profit on Martinez.

Alexandre Pato is coming home. Well, actually he’s leaving home. But he’s making a move back to his home away from home--Europe. The one-time Brazilian prodigy has reached an agreement with Chelsea for a six-month loan deal. At the end of the six months the club will have the option to extend the loan, make it a permanent deal or kick him to the curb. 

Chelsea's defensive record is in shambles: they've allowed 34 goals in 23 matches this campaign. Last season's title winning defense allowed only 32 goals throughout the entirety of the season. More worringly for the Chelsea heirarchy is that the situation doesn't have any immediate remedies in the form of contracted players. Their backline is comprised of ageing stalwarts John Terry, 35, Branislav Ivanovic, 31, and Gary Cahill, 30.

Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet and a long time supporter of Manchester United, has frequently reiterated his belief that he could turn out for the Red Devils. However, Bolt has now rescinded his own offer for a trial at Manchester United on the grounds of Louis van Gaal’s management style.

In early 2014, it seemed Alan Pulido had the world at his feet. Pulido had capped his finest club season to date, scoring 24 goals in 40 appearances for Tigres, with a goal in the 2014 Copa MX Final. UANL would go on to defeat Oaxaca 3-0, capturing their third Copa MX overall and their first since the 1995/96 season.

A week earlier, he scored the tying goal in a friendly against the United States in Glendale, Arizona. This was his fourth goal for El Tri, adding to the debut hat trick he’d scored against South Korea in January.

Newcastle United are struggling. They’re struggling for goals, they’re struggling to properly defend for 90 minutes and they’re struggling to get their fanbase behind a team that’s owned by a modern day slave driver and managed by the imprudently jubilant patch of hair that is Steve McClaren.