Carlos Tevez played his last game for Boca Juniors on Sunday, and is set to move to Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua for a reported £615,000-a-week pay package.
The former West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City player scored Boca Juniors’ second goal against Colon on Sunday, before being subbed off in the 90th minute to wild reception and applause from the crowd. Fans were allegedly waving signs saying “Don’t Go Carlos”, with one fan actually making it onto the pitch and getting a hug from the legend.
The 32-year old Argentinean striker is set to sign a deal estimated at £615,000 a week, which would make him the world’s highest paid footballer. That would see him beating the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, or Hulk – who himself recently completed a move to Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League – for the top paid spot.
China’s determination in becoming a footballing superpower is obvious however, and Tevez is hardly the first player to be tempted by the prices offered for talent in the Chinese Super League. He’ll be joining the likes of Demba Ba at Shanghai Shenhua, and playing against Ramires, Gervinho, and many other players brought in to cement China’s international reputation with its Super League.