Stunning deals in the winter transfer window have made the soccer world sit up and take notice — and the influx of foreign talents to China is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
Jackson Martinez, Atletico Madrid's landmark summer signing, departed for Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League holder Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao on Feb. 3 for some 42 million euros ($47M). That was quickly followed up by Jiangsu Suning’s axis-shifting €50 million capture of Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of Liverpool.
If the Martinez deal had a hint of damaged goods about it, then the Teixeira transfer emphasized that Chinese clubs can now go toe-to-toe with elite European teams for the best players — and win.