AFC BOURNEMOUTH MANAGER Eddie Howe has admitted Chinese investment could have a significant impact on the Premier League.
The Premier League has already seen players like Paulinho and Ramires move directly from the English top-flight to China from Tottenham and Chelsea respectively and Howe said he expected to see more of the same in the coming seasons.
And earlier today Ezequiel Lavezz joined Hebei China Fortune from Paris Saint-Germain on a deal rumoured to be worth more than €500,000 per week.
“It is early days but, moving forward, they will possibly continue to spend big money and players will be attracted there so it could make it more difficult for clubs to recruit,” he told the Daily Echo.
“It will be interesting to see the Premier League have a competitor because it has mainly dominated in terms of transfer fees and the income television brings.
“They are certainly having a go and attracting some big names.”
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When The42 starts doing liveblogs of a Chinese football match i’ll start getting worried.
I’d say Spurs weren’t too worried when they saw the Chinese coming with a wheelbarrow of cash for Paulinho.
Probably could have held out for more considering the prices paid last month.
Howe can rest easy. For the time being it will be just the pure mercenaries or past their prime veterans who’ll move to China. Those players who wish for a successful rewarding career playing challenging football will remain in Europe.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the English national side. Their players might actually get a game. From a wider European perspective, it wouldn’t be great for the not-quite-top-class national teams like Sweden or Croatia to have players scattered all over the globe. I can’t imagine South American teams benefit from having most of their players based in European leagues half the world away.
It’s all fantasy at the moment anyway. The Chinese economy could go t*ts up yet.
I think his Bournemouth players are safe for now
Nothing to see here. It’s only going to ever attract a certain type of player (i.e. not very good and offered crazy money or coming to the end of their career and looking for one big pay day). I don’t think the best players in the world would ever turn down an opportunity to play for Barcelona, Real, etc to play in China
Does nobody realize there is a cap of four non AFC players per team? It’s literally impossible for the CSL to raid the premiership
Unlikely in the short to medium term I would say. There are millions of kids all over the world with the talent and/or potential to make it at the highest level. Those that do have a drive and ambition (and luck) that put them ahead of the rest.
That ambition can’t be to chase the money playing football at an inferior standard while also living in China. The elite will want to play in the top leagues until something drastic happens. Journey-man pros, those failing to reach the heights in top leagues they thought they would, or the “one last job” group will always be exceptions.
There will need to be a massive culture change in world football for this to ever change, which would require some sort of real global league or Champions League played across a season. That is not even a prospect as of now.
Anyone remember the J-league?