Hulk Signs with Zenit St. Petersburg from FC Porto

Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg have agreed to a massive transfer fee for Porto striker Hulk.

ESPN FC reported the deal via Twitter.

"

Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed the signing Hulk from Porto, who earlier rejected a €50 million deal.

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 3, 2012"

The 26-year-old Brazilian was one of the most coveted players in the world during this summer, with rumors that he was bound for Chelsea popping up at several points in the last few months, as noted by Rik Sharma of the Daily Mail.

Sharma reported Hulk's price to be rumored at £39.5 million, which is roughly €50 million.

The Blues were never willing to pay the exorbitant price Porto put on their star. A debate will surely rage over reckless spending by European clubs and whether or not Hulk is worth the price, but the Brazilian is undoubtedly a talented player.

He has scored 39 league goals for Porto is the past two seasons. As his nickname suggests, he is a powerful player who is capable of providing a physical presence on opposing center-backs.

Despite his size, he is still remarkably fast and skilled. This versatility allows him to extremely effective on the wing as well.

Zenit St. Petersburg won the Russian Premier League last season by a comfortable margin. The league is already seven games into the current campaign, and the team is tied with Terek Grozny atop the table.

This transfer pits Zenit St. Petersburg against fellow big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala, who made a splash last summer by signing Samuel Eto’o for €28 million, according to Goal.com, and recently bought Real Madrid’s Lassana Diarra, also noted by Goal.com.

Hulk will now have to live up to expectations set by the incredible fee in an increasingly competitive Russian league.