Chelsea striker Diego Costa has become the latest player to be linked with a move to the Chinese Super League.
The Spaniard has been in scintillating form so far this season and is currently the Premier League's top scorer with 14 goals in 18 appearances. His former teammate Oscar will join CSL sideShanghai International Port Group in a deal worth £60m, and Costa is now being targeted as the next player to join the footballing revolution.
The SunreportTianjin Quanjian will make a staggering bid of £80m for the 28-year-old, having seen a £50m offer rejected last month. Should the deal go through, it would go down as one of the biggest transfers in world football.
Costa could earn £480,000-a-week at Tianjin, who reportedly have an abundance of cash to spend and are willing to up their transfer fee and their wage offer. The club's owner is multi-billionaire Shu Yuhui, who last season claimed he wanted to sign Barcelona star Lionel Messi and eventually opted against signing Brazilian legend Ronaldinho for being too old.
Costa's agent Jorge Mendes was working on the deal for Tianjin but Chelsea have said ˜no' to the bid. It was around £50m and the wages of £480,000-a-week would have put him among the highest earners in the world," a source told the Sun.
At the moment, the club are seriously thinking about going back in with a much improved offer. They're thinking about £75m would be more than right for a player of his age.
Costa is Brazil-born and the Chinese believe Brazilian footballers are best suited to their league. The division is full of them. Hulk, Oscar, Paulinho, Alex Teixeira and Ramires are to name only a few out here.�
Carlos Tevez has become the latest high-profile name to join the Chinese Super League, with the Argentine set to earn £600,000-a-week, while Mendes also revealed Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was the subject of a £250m bid from a Chinese team recently.
Costa'stransfer to Chinawould be the third highest in football history, equalling the £80m Real Madrid spent on Ronaldo back in 2009.