Chelsea Transfer News: Oscar Comments on Huge Shanghai SIPG Deal, Latest Rumours

Chelsea midfielder Oscar has confirmed he is on the verge of a big-money move to Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai SIPG next month after struggling to feature under manager Antonio Conte this season. 

The Telegraph (h/t ESPN FC's Chris Borg) reported the Blues accepted a bid worth £60 million, although the Daily Star's Colin Harvey reported the fee is actually £52 million.

Harvey also provided quotes from Oscar's interview with Brazilian outlet SporTV, in which he confirmed the move is almost complete: "It's 90 per cent right. It just depends on some bureaucratic details."

Shanghai SIPG are managed by former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, and Oscar will have some familiar faces at the club in Brazilian compatriots Hulk and Elkeson.

The deal stands to become the latest display of China's swift growth in the transfer market, and sports lawyer Jake Cohen spoke of Oscar as a big talent after news of his impending move emerged:

The 25-year-old has failed to fit into Conte's preferred 3-4-3 system and has started just six times across all competitions this season, five of which came in the first five Premier League games of the 2016-17 campaign.

Oscar isn't the first South American midfielder to be poached from Chelsea by a Chinese superpower in recent times following Ramires' £25 million move to Jiangsu Suning in January.

Chelsea fans may well relish the interest of their Far East suitors given the fee being attached to Oscar's sale is more than double the reported £25 million they paid Internacional for his signature in 2012, per BBC Sport.

Goal's Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella also touched upon the magnitude of the fee involved in the deal, which can be viewed as nothing less than superb business on the Blues' behalf:

The west Londoners could hardly hope for a better turn of events at this point in their season given Conte has already led the club to the summit of the Premier League and will welcome the opportunity to strengthen in January.

The funds will come as a welcome injection for a club who are without any European distractions but are well on track to re-establishing themselves as a Premier League powerhouse.

That's assuming Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wishes to reinvest at least some of the fee in his squad, having already seen Conte make major improvements during his first four months at Chelsea.

Oscar looks set to leave Stamford Bridge after netting 38 goals in 203 appearances for the club, per Transfermarkt, and the playmaker can rest assured his exit will go a long way to helping Chelsea as a parting gesture.