The Chinese Super League is luring Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney to play for them with an offer of £1 million a week or up to £60 million a year.
The 31-year-old Rooney, who broke the club's record yesterday by posting his 250th goal, is currently getting £300,000-a-week.
With an estimated wealth of £82 million, Rooney is listed as the richest among sports stars aged 30 or under.
According to sources in China, they do not expect United to stand in the way if Rooney decides to leave in the summer. Rooney is no longer first choice in Manchester United, making the offer to play in the Chinese Super League more irresistible.
Rooney is expected to sign a two-year deal with the China Super League and earn more than he in his entire United career. Sponsored by major brands such as Nike and Samsung, Rooney will also earn millions in advertising deals on top of his salary.
Manchester United claims it has 108 million followers in China, equivalent to eight per cent of the population, that means Rooney is already popular there.
However, it was reported that Rooney had turned down the chance to join the Beijing Guoan club.
Beijing Guoan honorary chairman Luo Ning revealed that they approached Rooney but the latter stated that he wants to stay in Manchester United.
The Chinese seem hell bent on snatching soccer stars away from the Premier League by waving obscene amounts of money in their faces. They have so far attracted players to their league with offers of as much as half-a-million quid a week.
Brazilian striker Diego Costa is also expected to go to China in summer, which may destabilize Chelsea's title bid. Costa's agent, Jorge Mendes, has seen other agents make big money and may want to get a piece of the Chinese cash windfall.