Chelsea outcast Radamel Falcao reveals: mega-rich Chinese Super League wanted me too

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao has given the strongest indication yet of just how desperate Chinese Super League clubs were to take big-name, big-money players to the Middle Kingdom this winter as he revealed he too received lucrative offers to ply his trade there this season.

Falcao, the forgotten man of Stamford Bridge, who has become a symbol of financial profligacy in England during his brief stints at Manchester United and current club Chelsea, has managed just nine appearances this season, yet revealed in an interview with El Tiempo that he twice turned down “great” offers to move east in favour of rekindling his career in the English Premier League.

“It’s true that I had two different offers from Chinese football, but I stayed in England in order to give myself the opportunity,” Falcao said. “To go there would have been the easiest way, because it was a great offer, but I wanted to stay.

READ MORE: New season, new money, same old story in the Chinese Super League’s first big clash in a brave new world

The 30-year-old has managed just five goals in 40 appearances since he moved to England from French Ligue 1 side Monaco during the 2014-15 season.

Newspaper reports last year revealed the vast sums the former Porto and Atletico Madrid forward has earned during his time in England. He was said to be earning £280,000 ($HK3.1 million) per week during his year-long stay with Manchester United, and was reported to have agreed a pay cut to make £140,000 per week during his time with Chelsea. It’s unlikely Colombia’s all-time top goalscorer was offered a further pay cut to move to China.

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The new Chinese Super League season got underway on March 4 by which time, according to Transfermarkt.com, a total of £275.3m had been spent on transfer fees for new players.