X

    Carlos Tevez to Shanghai Shenhua: Latest Transfer Details, Comments and Reaction

    Gianni Verschueren@ReverschPassFeatured ColumnistDecember 29, 2016

    Boca Juniors' forward Carlos Tevez enters the field before their Argentina First Division football match against Colon, at La Bombonera stadium, in Buenos Aires, on December 18, 2016. / AFP / ALEJANDRO PAGNI (Photo credit should read ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images)
    ALEJANDRO PAGNI/Getty Images

    Carlos Tevez has completed his transfer from Boca Juniors to Shanghai Shenhua, becoming the latest star footballer to move to the Chinese League and the world's highest-paid player.

    Oliver Todd of MailOnline passed along confirmation from the club and reported the veteran striker will earn an estimated £615,000 a week as part of the move.

    Bleacher Report UK broke the astronomical figure down:

    B/R Football @brfootball

    Take a look around the bank of Carlos Tevez, the world’s best-paid footballer 💰 https://t.co/eIMMJ5f8sw

    The 32-year-old returned to boyhood club Boca Juniors in 2015 after a successful spell with Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League.

    He previously had success with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, where he added three Premier League titles and a Champions League win to his resume.

    Tevez seemed destined to finish his career with Boca Juniors, the place where it all started for the Argentina international, but ultimately, the deep pockets of China's top clubs won out.

    As shared by Bleacher Report UK, the goodbye was emotional for some:

    B/R Football @brfootball

    Carlos Tevez said goodbye to Boca Juniors ahead of his rumoured move to China, but some weren’t ready to see him go. 👊 https://t.co/bwwxRuTB19

    Carlos Tevez to Shanghai Shenhua: Latest Transfer Details, Comments and Reaction
    Video Play Button
    ✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content Right Arrow Icon

    He becomes the latest in an ever-growing line of players leaving Europe for lucrative deals in south-east Asia. The likes of Jackson Martinez, Ramires, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Hulk, Oscar and Graziano Pelle already ply their trade in China.

    Tevez is arguably the best player of the bunch―and the most accomplished―and the ability of Chinese clubs to land top players on huge deals has some people worried.

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is one of them, as he said, per the Associated Press (for ESPN FC): "The Chinese market is a danger for all teams in the world."

    Boca Juniors' forward Carlos Tevez celebrates after scoring the team's second goal against River Plate during their Argentina First Division football match at El Monumental stadium, in Buenos Aires, on December 11, 2016. Boca won by 4-2. / AFP / ALEJANDRO
    ALEJANDRO PAGNI/Getty Images

    But as reported by Fox Sports Asia's Scott McIntyre, Chinese football has been importing world-class coaches and working on its youth programs for years, and this influx of quality is the logical next step in its development.

    For Tevez, it makes sense to cash in at this stage of his career. He's no longer the world-class attacking option he once was, but he can still be effective for his new club—and he may even have time to return to Boca Juniors one day.