Brazilian soccer star Hulk is China's biggest acquisition to date. (Photo : Twitter)
China has now become one of the biggest spenders in the global soccer transfer scene, FIFA revealed.
Big Spender
According to the international governing body's Transfer Matching System, China has spent more than $450 million on transfers in 2016, GB Times reported. The amount puts the country as the fifth biggest spender, behind Germany ($560 million), Italy ($500 million) and Spain ($500 million).
England still remains the biggest spender on transfers, putting out around $1.35 million.
Much of the spending made by Chinese clubs was for the acquisition of top players from the European football scene. The biggest transfer deal was $60 million, paid by Shanghai SIPG for Brazilian striker Hulk.
Other major deals include the $63 million transfer of Oscar, again to Shanghai SIPG, and Shanghai Greenland Shenhua getting Carlos Teves for reportedly more than $20 million per season.
By contrast, the biggest transfer deal in the international scene was Manchester United's acquisition of Paul Pogba for a staggering $116 million in August.
The big deals brought global transfer spending up by 16 percent to a staggering $4.79 billion. The number did not include figures for transfers within countries.
TMS acting general manager Kimberly Morris said that the increased spending by clubs all over the world is a sign of the sport now becoming more global than ever.
Part of the Grand Plan
The increased spending made by Chinese football clubs is said to be part of a bigger effort to turn the country into a football superpower, Financial Times reported. The push has been endorsed by no less than President Xi Jinping himself.
Aside from player acquisition by clubs, Chinese companies have also bought stakes from European clubs, such as Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, as well as purchased broadcasting rights for soccer events.
However, governing bodies have sought to curb down exorbitant spending on transfers, with clubs now being limited on the number of foreign players they can field.
