Andres Iniesta's China move 'in doubt' over salary issues
Monday 7 May 2018 21:40, UK
Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta's move to China may be in doubt, after his prospective new club Chongqing Lifan said they would not pay a huge salary.
The Chinese Super League club have indicated they will not pay the Barcelona playmaker a salary that would distort the market.
In a statement on China's biggest social network website Weibo on Friday, the Chinese side's president Jiang Lizhang said the club are working with Iniesta in areas including marketing and youth education, but there is no deal in place for him to play.
Chongqing said the club would adhere to rational investment and follow rules set by the government-controlled Chinese Football Association, which includes a salary cap across the division.
Barca captain Iniesta, 33, announced in April that he would leave the club he joined as a 12-year-old in the summer, with reports suggesting he would be moving to Chongqing.
Further reports in Spain recently indicated Iniesta was close to agreeing a three-year deal with the Super League club, worth in the region of 81 million euros (£71.3m).
A rising star of Barca's famed La Masia academy, Iniesta made his senior debut at the age of 18 in 2002.
The 33-year-old has won both the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey this season with the Catalan club.
