SHANGHAI: Chelsea’s Oscar said he was looking forward to joining his “new family” on Friday after Shanghai SIPG sealed terms on what will be China’s fifth Asian-record signing in less than a year.
The 25-year-old Brazil midfielder, snared for a reported £60 million (70.5 million euros), becomes just the latest top player in his prime lured to the mega-rich Chinese Super League.
He is due to finalize the deal in Shanghai in the “coming days,” said the Chinese club, which is coached by ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas.
“I’m very happy to sign to SIPG. This is an important day for me to join to my new family in China,” Oscar said in a video statement released by SIPG.
As well as Asia’s record signing, Oscar will also become Chelsea’s biggest sale, beating compatriot David Luiz’s £50 million move to Paris Saint Germain in 2014.
Chinese Super League clubs have already splashed out more than $400 million on players this year, after President Xi Jinping laid out a vision of turning the country into a football power.
Chinese teams broke the Asian record three times in just 10 days in the January-February transfer window, and moved it still higher when Brazil’s Hulk joined SIPG for 55.8 million euros in July.
Significantly, Chinese clubs are now competing with European rivals for world-class players, who are opting for China’s astronomical pay packets over the chance of a career in football’s top leagues.
Oscar’s ex-Chelsea teammate Ramires 29, and Alex Teixeira, 26, are other highly rated Brazilians in their twenties to join the Super League for record sums this year.
Other world-renowned players in China include Hulk and Jackson Martinez, both 30, and Ezequiel Lavezzi and Graziano Pelle, both 31.
According to reports, some of the players are now among the highest paid footballers in the world.
A Chelsea statement said Oscar will join SIPG at the start of the January transfer window, noting he has won the Premier League, League Cup and Europa League titles during his four-and-a-half years at the London club.
“Shanghai SIPG has formally completed the transfer agreement of Brazil football player Oscar with Chelsea,” the Chinese club said on its official social media account.
“Oscar will arrive in Shanghai in the coming days to officially join SIPG.”
He has been a target of Shanghai’s new manager Villas-Boas since the Portuguese managed Tottenham Hotspur in the 2012/13 season, but opted to join Chelsea instead.
Last week Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, when asked to comment on Oscar’s impending transfer, called China’s financial muscle “a danger for all teams in the world.”
Chinese state media has also warned of a “bubble” developing in China’s football industry, saying total spending this year had topped $1 billion.
Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily said 8 billion yuan ($1.15 bn) had been spent in 2016, a sum, which “far exceeded the economic value brought to the league.”
The breakneck spending shows no sign of slowing, however, with Argentine forward Carlos Tevez also expected to move to China when the transfer window opens in January.
Oscar sets for record-breaking Shanghai move
Oscar sets for record-breaking Shanghai move
Stage set for 37th Dubai Desert Classic at Majlis Course
- World-class field includes 4-time champion Rory McIlroy, defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and Open Champion Shane Lowry
DUBAI: As the world’s best golfers begin arriving at Emirates Golf Club ahead of the first Rolex Series event of the 2026 Race to Dubai season, taking place at Majlis Course from Jan. 22-25, the stage is set for the 37th Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Record four-time champion Rory McIlroy returns to the “Major of the Middle East” where he debuted as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in 2006, marking the 20th anniversary of his first appearance. The reigning Masters champion and five-time Major winner will chase a historic fifth Dallah Trophy as part of a stellar field including defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, FedEx Cup Champion Tommy Fleetwood, 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry, 2022 HDDC champion Viktor Hovland, Rolex Series winner Nicolai Hojgaard, PGA Tour victor Ryan Fox and rising star Tom McKibbin.
Former world No. 1 and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald also returns to Dubai, while UAE national golfer Ahmad Skaik joins the field as a professional for the first time, highlighting the tournament’s continued commitment to supporting regional talent.
Matthew Perry, course superintendent at Emirates Golf Club, oversees a team of more than 100 that ensures the golf course lives up to its reputation as one of the best in world golf.
“Preparations have gone really, really well for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic,” he said. “We came out of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in a good place back in October, which really set us up nicely to push through and get things ready. All areas are in good condition — the greens are in great shape and we’re now reducing heights and increasing cuts and rolls to get the speed required by the Tour.
“The team has worked tremendously hard over the last couple of weeks building up to this tournament, and we expect really good feedback from the players. We always set very high standards given it (is) a Rolex Series event and such a prestigious tournament.
“One thing we really focused on last year was tidying all the desert areas, which are now presenting very well. Overall, I’m really happy with the course condition going into event week — it gets the juices flowing for what will be a busy week for us, but also a rewarding one.”
During tournament week, the agronomy team grows to include 105 staff members, including seconded personnel from Yas Links, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates, all working together to ensure every blade of grass meets the exacting standards expected at a Rolex Series event.
Simon Corkill, executive tournament director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, said: “The synergy between our tournament operations team and the Dubai Golf agronomy team is vital to delivering a world-class event. The work that Matt and his team do is remarkable — bringing the course to peak condition at exactly the right time is an exact science, and they deliver year after year to championship standards. With our strongest field in recent memory and preparations running smoothly, we’re ready to welcome players and fans for what promises to be a thrilling 37th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.”
