Chelsea midfielder Ramires set for £25M Jiangsu Suning move? (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning FC is reportedly preparing to buy Brazilian midfielder Ramires of reigning English Premier League champions Chelsea this January transfer window for £25 million.
Metro indicated that Jiangsu has "blown the competition out of the water" with the multi-million bid for Ramires as Ligue 1 champs Paris Saint-Germain and Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich were also said to be interested in getting the services of the 28-year-old Brazil international.
Ramires arrived in Stamford Bridge back in August 2010 in a transfer deal worth £18 million from Portuguese club SL Benfica, signing a four-year contract with the English giants.
He had played six seasons for Chelsea so far, appearing in 246 games and scoring 37 goals in the process.
Through the years, he had gradually become one of the Blues' most reliable and versatile central midfielders until recently when he was underutilized by sacked manager Jose Mourinho and current interim manager Guus Hiddink.
Even Chelsea's bad start to the 2015-2016 season did not make Mourinho use him more in the starting eleven, which allegedly made Ramires feel underappreciated by the club. He has so far only played 12 of the Pensioners' 23 games this season and have scored twice.
Despite the recent lack of first team appearances, he still commands the interest of many European clubs, but the mega money offer from China may be too good to pass up for the 5-foot-11 Barra do Piraí, Brazil native.
Xinhuanet noted that if ever the Jiangsu move will push through, Ramires "will become the most expensive player in Chinese football history".
He is also set to play for another former Chelsea player, 48-year-old manager Dan Petrescu, who suited up for the Stamford Bridge residents from 1995 to 2000 as a winger.
The Blues are reportedly rebuilding for the future as they try to complete a dismal season where they are currently at the 13th spot of the EPL table with 28 points, 19 points behind league-leader Leicester City and a 7-9-7 win-loss-draw record.
Aside from Ramires, midfielder John Obi Mikel is reportedly also being targeted by another CSL team, the Shanghai SIPG FC, for a transfer fee of £6 million.
Club owner Roman Abramovich is said to be willing to sell him as well to raise funds for a key signing this winter window.
