Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa. (Photo : Getty Images)
Real Madrid full back Alvaro Arbeloa has reportedly turned down a highly lucrative offer from Chinese Super League squad Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC this summer even as his contract is set to expire and there are no indications that he will be re-signed.
Sports Mole indicated that the 33-year-old Spanish defender "will be out of contract at the Bernabéu this summer and is not expected to be offered a new deal" as the La Liga giants roster is still teeming with world-class defenders such as Raphaël Varane, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, Danilo, Pepe, and team captain Sergio Ramos.
Arbeloa was signed back by Los Blancos for his second stint with the capital city squad in July 2009 for a transfer fee of £5 million and a five-year contract. His contract should have expired in 2014, but he was given an extension up to the summer of 2016.
With the extension set to expire at the end of the season, club president Florentino Pérez is allegedly not planning on giving him another one.
The report continued, citing local media outlet Marca, that "Shanghai Shenhua were prepared to offer the former Spanish international a lucrative contract to make the move to China, but the full back was not prepared to entertain the interest".
Tribal Football noted that the bid was a "staggering" €8 million a year in salary, which is massive in the case of the seldom-used Salamanca, Spain native.
Shanghai Shenghua's offer to Real Madrid was not disclosed, however.
The report also said that Arbeloa is not keen on leaving the Spanish capital even when his contract expires this summer and is said to be "staying loyal to the end".
Arbeloa began his senior career with Real's C team in 2002 prior to getting promoted to the B team in 2003 and eventually to the first team in 2004. He remained with the club until July 2006 when he was signed by rival club Deportivo de La Coruña.
From there, he joined Premier League side Liverpool FC in January 2007 before returning to Madrid in 2009.
In his latest seven-season stint with Los Vikingos, he had appeared in 230 games and scored six times in all competitions mainly as a defender. He has only appeared in three games so far in the current season, which is a clear indication that he is already a dispensable part of the roster.
CSL clubs have lured high-profile European players to join them this season, snagging Ramires, Jackson Martinez, and Alex Teixeira into multi-million dollar deals that one at a time broke the Chinese transfer record from their former teams during the winter transfer window.
