JIangsu Suning midfielder Ramires (L) competes for the ball against Shandong Luneng's Hao Junmin. (Photo : Getty Images)
Current league leaders Jiangsu Suning FC settled for a 1-1 draw with newly-promoted squad Hebei China Fortune during their matchday 3 encounter at the latter's Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hebei province, China on Saturday, April 2nd.
Jiangsu's €32 million-man Ramires broke the ice for head coach Dan Petrescu's side at the 22nd minute of the match off an assist by local defender Zhou Yun as the Nanjing residents held on to the one-point lead until the halftime break, as per Sofa Score.
The Brazilian midfielder is one of the four Chinese transfer record breakers in the recent winter transfer window after Elkeson first broke the feat when he was acquired by Shanghai SIPG from Guangzhou Evergrande for €18 million.
Guangzhou's €42 million acquisition of Atletico Madrid forward Jackson Martinez broke Ramires' short reign as record-holder before Jiangsu's signing of another Brazilian footballer, Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk, broke it again at €50 million.
Last season's China League One runners-up were also beefed up this season as one of their five newly-signed imports, Cameroonian defensive midfielder Stéphane Mbia, provided the equalizing goal for manager Li Tie's wards one minute before the hour mark of the match, via Soccerway.
Both teams were not able to score since then as they settled to share for the one point in the overall standings.
Even with the draw, Jiangsu remained at the top of the league table, tied on points with fellow undefeated squad Henan Jianye but having a superior goal differential value of +4 to Henan's +2.
Meanwhile, Hebei is at the sixth spot of the league table, tied on points with Liaoning Whowin, Chongqing Lifan, and last season's China League One winners Yanbian Funde, but has the superior goal differential of the four squads.
Aside from Mbia, the Samba Kings also had four other high-profile signings during the winter, namely Gervinho from Italian Serie A club AS Roma for €18 million, Gaël Kakuta from La Liga team Sevilla FC at an undisclosed amount, Ersan Gülüm from Turkish side Beşiktaş also at an undisclosed amount, and Ezequiel Lavezzi from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, who received a two-year, €12 million a year deal from Hebei.
