Ramires of Chelsea (Photo : Getty Images)
Chelsea midfielder Ramires reportedly agreed to personal terms ahead of his £25 million transfer to play for Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning.
According to the Mail, the 28-year-old Brazilian flew to Jiangsu's training camp in Malaga on Tuesday night for his medical ahead of confirming the deal. The move will be the highest transfer fee paid in China and comes just after Ramires signed a new four-year contract with the Pensioners.
However, according to David Pasztor of SB Nation's We Aint Got No History, the £25 million transfer fee seems too much for a squad player that is almost past his prime.
"That's £25m for a 28-year-old squad player, who quite likely will be past his prime soon (if he isn't already), especially considering that so much of his game is built on physical fitness and prowess," Pasztor wrote.
"Factor in five and a half years' worth of wages, and any notion that Chelsea are turning a 'profit' on Ramires is sorely misguided."
Ramires, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2010 for £17 million, has not started in the Premier League since a 2-1 loss against Leicester City in December. Prior to his Chinese football club signing, the Brazilian ace drew interest from big clubs like Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain.
In taking his talents to Jiangsu, Ramires joins a growing list of Brazilian players in China, including Tottenham midfielder Paulhino, under ex-Chelsea boss Felipe Scolari. The Brazilian international also plays under former Chelsea midfielder Dan Petrescu, who has been managing Jiangsu since last July.
Meanwhile, Hebei China Fortune, another Chinese Super League club, have completed the signing Roma's Gervinho, reports Football Italia.
Reports surfaced on Monday that the Ivorian international was close to completing a €15 million deal to join Hebei after missing Roma's training session. The report added that only an official announcement from Roma is lacking to confirm the transfer deal.
