James Troisi (Photo : Getty Images)
Socceroo midfielder James Troisi officially joined the Liaoning Whowin, knocking back offers from A-League and Major League Soccer.
Transfer Market China posted on Twitter the official signing of Troisi to Liaoning FC, joined the growing ranks of Aussie players signing with Chinese clubs.
The Aussie striker has been a free agent since severing ties with Al-Ittihad earlier this month, making way for his lucrative signing to the big-spending Chinese club.
According to Football Australia, the 27-year-old Troisi had been linked to returning to the A-League, with his hometown club Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory FC interested. However, a hefty paycheck seems to be the more viable option for Troisi, who scored the winning goal in the Asian Cup final last year.
Troisi's transfer follows fellow Socceroos Ryan McGowan and Trent Sainsbury's move to China. McGowan joined Henan Jianye, while Jianing Suning lured Trent Sainsbury, who admitted that he could not turn down the $1.5 million offer from the Chinese Super League club.
"Chinese football is growing fast," Sainsbury said, reports SBS.
"Clubs are paying big money for exceptional players and to help grow the league, making the local players step up their own game. It's only going to get better year by year."
Former Perth Glory captain Michael Thwaite also opted to play in China and will welcome Troisi as his new teammate in Liaoning.
According to The Guardian, there will likely be more Australia-based players considering a move to play for the Chinese Super League, with free agent Socceroos defender Alex Wilkinson getting courted for a big-money contract in Asia, although the 31-year-old Aussie also admitted he is open in returning to the A-League.
"I've had some interest from different parts of Asia and a bit of interest here from home as well," Wilkinson said in Sydney on Wednesday," Wilkinson said.
"It's just a matter of weighing up the options and seeing what's best for myself and my family."
