Chinese football clubs splashed out more than $450-million (about R6-billion) in transfer fees last year, a spree that helped global spending on the acquisition of players reach a record high. According to Fifa's transfer matching system, the total spent on transfer fees worldwide hit $4.8-billion in 2016, a 14.3% increase over the year before. The rise is partly explained by the growth of the game in China, which has become the biggest-spending nation behind England, Germany, Spain and Italy. Clubs in the Chinese Super League spent $451.3-million on transfer fees in 2016, a 168.2% increase on the year before. Among recent deals, Shanghai SIPG bought Brazilian midfielder Oscar from Chelsea for $63-million. Rival Shanghai Shenhua signed a two-year contract with Argentinian striker Carlos Tévez, in which his salary was reported to be worth more than $20-million a season. The acquisition of players was just one part of a multibillion-dollar surge of investment into Chinese football ove...
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