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February 6, 2016

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Another record transfer as Jiangsu shells out US$56m for Teixeira

IN another Chinese Super League transfer record, Jiangsu Suning paid 50 million euros (US$56 million) for Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira that pushed the CSL spending past the English Premier League.

Jiangsu secured Teixeira from Ukranian side FC Shakhtar Donetsk on a four-year deal yesterday.

Donetsk was the first to confirm the deal on its official website yesterday, saying the two clubs “have agreed on all the necessary formalities for the transfer of Alex Teixeira to the Chinese club. Transfer fee for the Brazilian midfielder is 50 million euros.”

Suning followed with a statement later on its official Weibo account, saying Teixeira was undergoing medical and will soon join his new club.

“Teixeira will play an important role for the team in the new season,” Suning said. “He will strengthen the team’s attacking ability and is also capable of playing on the wings.”

Teixeira, who turned 26 last month, scored 89 goals in his 223 appearances for Shakhtar since 2009, winning five Ukrainian titles, three national cups and five Ukrainian Super Cups.

He was closely linked with a move to Liverpool in January.

The latest CSL transfer record comes only two days after Asian champion Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao signed Colombian striker Jackson Martinez from Atletico Madrid for 42 million euros.

In a crazy transfer season the record was broken four times in just two weeks. Till yesterday, Chinese clubs had spent over 258 million euros and with the transfer window only ending on February 28 that number is likely to go up.

The spending surpassed the 247 million euros spent by English clubs in January.

British media claimed yesterday that Suning had made an unsuccessful 57-million-pound bid for Chelsea’s Brazilian international Oscar. Suning has already bought Brazilian midfielder Ramires from the Blues for 28 million euros last month.

Reuters quoted Teixeira as saying that things “happened so fast that I still need time to fully comprehend it all.”

“My agent called when I was at the airport on my way to a club training camp,” Teixeira said from Spain. “Despite the situation unfolding with such speed, it was not an easy decision to make and I needed to respond quickly.

“People knew I wanted to stay in Europe and move to the Premier League. Unfortunately, all the offers from English clubs were quite vague, so now I am moving to China and hopes of playing for Brazil have moved a bit further away.”

Jiangsu Suning, previously Jiangsu Sainty, finished ninth last season in the 16-team league. It was taken over by electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group in December.

Xinhua news agency, meanwhile, reported yesterday that Atletico Mineiro had received a 15 million-euro offer from CSL newcomer Hebei China Fortune for Argentine striker Lucas Pratto.

“Atletico Mineiro find themselves in a situation where it is nearly impossible to reject a proposal like this,” Xinhua cited a Sambafoot news portal. Pratto has scored 23 goals in 59 appearances for Atletico since joining the club from Velez Sarsfield in December 2014.

Hebei China Fortune was promoted to the CSL after finishing second in Chinese League One, the second division league, last season.




 

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