Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel will apparently turn down a whopping £100k-per-week pay rise from the far east in favour of staying in Europe, the London Evening Standard claims.
The Chinese club in question are Shanghai SIPG, the same club that are set to purchase Mikel's teammate Oscar for €60m, in the coming weeks.
Mikel's resolve will be firmly tested, as he isunlikely to earn anywhere near that figure if he stays in Europe, a move thought to be favoured by the player given that he feels it would be better for his family.
Thought to be on around £70k-per-week at the Blues, Mikel would more than double his weekly wages if he followed Oscar to the Chinese Super League.
The Nigerian has been somewhat frozen out by Antonio Conte since his arrival last summer, and could well move on as early as next month rather than wait to run down his current contract which expires at the end of the season.
But in news that might earn Mikel more respect, Standard Sport claims Mikel is considering staying in Europe to play in a more competitive league to try and add to his medal collection, rather than follow in the footsteps of some other former Premier League stars.
The paper claims potential suitors for Mikel include French club Marseille, who have been 'interested for months' in the defensive midfielder. It is understood that sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has already offered the player a contract, but to play for less money that he his currently on at Chelsea.
Ligue 1 may not hold the tag of being the 'most competitive' league out there, butdoes offer places into the most prestigious club competition in the world - the Champions League, something that the Chinese League will never be able to boast despite all its riches.