Thursday 19 January 2017 14:24, UK
Who could follow in the footsteps of Oscar and Carlos Tevez by heading for the riches of the Chinese Super League this transfer window? Football Whispers assesses some possible candidates...
After Chelsea manager Antonio Conte reportedly shouted "Go to China!" following a training ground bust-up with Diego Costa, Premier League fans were once again reminded of the very real threat of losing some of their heroes to the cash-rich Chinese Super League.
Already this month the burgeoning, free-spending division has captured Brazilian midfielder Oscar from Chelsea for £52m, snapped up highly-rated Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel from under the noses of Juventus, and made former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez the highest-paid player in the world.
Football Whispers taps into its unique algorithm, which rates the validity of transfer rumours, to look at which Europe-based stars could be heading east in the near future...
Former England and Aston Villa winger Ashley Young has been a peripheral figure for Manchester United this season, with manager Jose Mourinho only starting the 31-year-old twice in the Premier League.
The Sun recently reported that Young is a target for Shandong Luneng, and the Football Whispers Index rates the Chinese side's chances of landing the experienced and versatile player at 2.9 out of five.
Although he hasn't registered a goal or an assist in 540 minutes of action this term, Mourinho knows Young can fill in on either flank or at full-back.
His combative quality is evidenced by the fact that he has won an impressive 67.4 per cent of his duels, while also having the technical prowess to pick out a colleague with 82 per cent of his passes.
But, now in his 30s and seemingly facing a struggle to break into the starting XI at Old Trafford on a consistent basis, the possibility of one final payday in China might appeal to Young.
At the start of the season, Yaya Toure's fallout with new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola meant that nobody would have been surprised to see the former Ivory Coast international leave the club at the earliest opportunity.
But the 33-year-old has worked his way back into the Spaniard's plans, and has now made nine starts, contributing four goals and one assist.
Toure's agent, Dimitri Seluk, told Sky Sports News HQ the midfielder turned down a staggering £520,000-a-week deal from Jiangsu Suning during the last winter transfer window but while he remains in the final months of his current deal, Seluk is sure to still be assessing the options.
Toure is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club and Shanghai SIPG and Jiangsu Suning are both rated at 1.1 to secure his services, should he not extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Sky Sports News HQ understands Costa is back in Chelsea contention after holding "amicable" talks following a row with Conte amid the backdrop of a £30m-a-year offer from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.
Tianjin's owner has since admitted his club's ambitious aims have been hindered by a new restriction on foreign players in the CSL - but Costa's agent, Jorge Mendes, travelled across the globe to discuss a mega-money move for his client and speculation over the Brazil-born Spain international's long-term future at Stamford Bridge has not settled.
The Guardian claims Costa will sit tight this window before departing in the summer and despite numerous reported CSL suitors, the Football Whispers Index currently rates Tianjin Teda - with a score of 2.7 out of five - as his most likely destination, Jiangsu Suning FC (2.2) ranked not far behind.
Costa has played a key role for the Premier League leaders this season and his 14 goals and five assists mean he has been directly involved in a goal every 93.16 minutes.
His shots-to-goals ratio of 4.64 is better than that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (6.28), Sergio Aguero (5.93) and Alexis Sanchez (5.25).
Costa's team-mate Willian is another Blues player whom the British media have linked with China but the FW Index has yet to deem that switch a potential goer.
Reports from Italy emerged this month claiming that Shanghai SIPG had lodged a world record €145m bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Last season's Bundesliga runners-up moved quickly to deny any such offer had been received, with spokesman Sascha Fligge telling German news agency DPA: "Borussia Dortmund has nothing on the table regarding this matter and we do not deal with hypothetical things."
But that hasn't completely quashed the rumours and a man of Aubameyang's quality and standing - he had scored 20 goals before the Bundesliga began its winter break in mid-December - certainly fits the bill as a star foreign import.
The 27-year-old forward, who is currently captaining Gabon in the Africa Cup of Nations, has made no secret of his desire to someday represent Real Madrid, the club supported by his grandfather.
If anything could sway his commitment to that dream, though, it would be the kind of sums on offer in China - the Football Whispers Index rates a potential move to Shanghai SIPG at a faint but not insignificant 1.3.
One of the more surprising names linked with a possible switch to China is Aston Villa's Jordan Ayew.
The Ghanaian forward has only found the net three times this season, as well as registering two assists, and the Sky Bet Championship side might be willing to cash in on him to fund a move for Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes.
The Sun claims that Shanghai SIPG have registered an interest in Ayew and the Football Whispers Index rates the rumour at 1.6.
Having been forced to take a pay cut upon the Villains' relegation from the Premier League last season, Ayew would likely welcome a lucrative move to China. However, it remains to be seen whether any Super League club is willing to meet the Midlanders' £10m valuation of the 25-year-old.
