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Agence France-Presse

Mousa Dembele became the latest high-profile name to swap Europe for China when he left English Premier League side Tottenham and joined Guangzhou R&F on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Belgian international will cost the Chinese Super League (CSL) club £11 million (US$14.2 million) and he can expect to receive a significant hike in wages.
Dembele, who could soon be joined in China by West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic, is regarded as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League when fit.
But his appearances have become increasingly limited in recent seasons because of injury.
West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic subject of a £35 million bid from Chinese Super League club

“Now it feels like my family, part of my family,” Dembele told Spurs TV, reflecting on his departure after six-and-a-half years at the Premier League title challengers.
“I go away with an unbelievable feeling and with a certain love for the club.”
Spurs said the transfer was subject to international clearance, which should be a formality.
In February last year, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino described Dembele as being on a par with Diego Maradona.
“I have said before that he is a genius of football,” the Spurs boss said at the time.
But Dembele has been restricted to just seven starts for the London club this season because of an ankle ligament problem and Pochettino is looking to offload fringe players.
Alexandre Pato leaving, stadium signs dragged down, club name changed – owner’s arrest sees Tianjin Quanjian airbrush history

Dembele, who has more than 80 caps for Belgium, joined Tottenham in August 2012 from Fulham and in his pomp was a dynamic fulcrum in their midfield, as well as a crowd favourite.
He started his career in his native Belgium before moves to Willem II and AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
Dembele’s signing represents a coup for R&F – but also a risk, given his fitness problems.
The club are not one of China’s traditional heavyweights and flirted with relegation from the CSL last season before finishing just below mid-table.
Their coach is the former Yugoslav great Dragan Stojkovic.
“Our club believes that as a world-class football star, Dembele’s joining will definitely enhance the overall strength of the team,” Guangzhou R&F said in a statement.

Volatile West Ham forward Arnautovic, 29, is agitating for a move to China and was the subject of a reported £35 million (US$45 million) offer from an unnamed CSL club last week.
Although the Hammers declared the Austria international not for sale, the player’s agent and brother Danijel said Arnautovic had a “great desire that West Ham accept the offer”.
Shanghai SIPG are the side said to be interested and have reportedly offered Arnautovic a wage packet of £200,000 per week over a four-year deal.
Brazilians Oscar, Hulk and Alexandre Pato have all joined Chinese clubs in the last couple of years for large fees and on inflated wages.
Argentine international stalwart Javier Mascherano left Barcelona for Hebei China Fortune a year ago, although Chinese authorities have moved to dampen the domestic transfer market.
Former Chelsea star Oscar played a major role helping Shanghai SIPG to their first title when they won the latest CSL season, which ended in November.
The new season begins in the spring.


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Chinese Super League

Mousa Dembele joins Guangzhou R&F in Chinese Super League; says Tottenham ‘feels like my family’

Mousa Dembele fends off Manchester United’s Ander Herrera. The Belgian has left Tottenham for the Chinese Super League. Photo: AP

PYP395 London, England - October 29, 2018 Tottenham Hotspur's Mousa Dembele during Premier League between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley stadium , London, England on 29 Oct 2018. Credit Action Foto Sport FA Premier League and Football League images are subject to DataCo Licence. Editorial use ONLY. No print sales. No personal use sales. NO UNPAID USE

epa07277647 West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini (L) shakes hands with Marko Arnautovic (R) during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at the London Stadium in London, Britain, 12 January 2019. EPA-EFE/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

(FILE) This file photo taken on June 2, 2018 shows Belgium's midfielder Mousa Dembele controling the ball during a friendly football match between Belgium and Portugal at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels. - Mousa Dembele became the latest high-profile name to swap Europe for China when he joined Guangzhou R&F from Tottenham Hotspur on January 17, 2019. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)

Alexandre Pato leaving, stadium signs dragged down, club name changed – owner’s arrest sees Tianjin Quanjian airbrush history

Tianjin’s Alexandre Pato looks to be on his way out. Photo: AFP

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 15, 2018 shows Tianjin Quanjian's Alexandre Pato celebrating after scoring during the AFC Champions League round of 16 football match between China's Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian in Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province. - Axel Witsel and Anthony Modeste played a major part getting Tianjin Quanjian into the Asian Champions League quarter-finals but the Chinese side must contest the biggest game in their short history without the star duo. Belgian international Witsel joined Borussia Dortmund earlier this month and striker Modeste is set to sign for Galatasaray, putting the onus very much on Alexandre Pato when Tianjin face Japan's Kashima Antlers away in the first leg on August 28, 2018. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT / TO GO WITH Fbl-Asia-C1, PREVIEW by Peter STEBBINGS

Shu Yuhui, 51, has been under criminal detention along with 17 others from his company.

epa06978815 Atsuto Uchida (L) of Kashima in action against Zheng Dalun (R) of Tianjin during the AFC Champions League quarter final, first leg soccer match between Kashima Antlers and Tianjin Quanjian at Kashima Soccer Stadium in Kashima, Japan, 28 August 2018. EPA-EFE/JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO ARCHIVES

Tianjin Quanjian's Yang Xu (centre L) and Kashima Antlers' Shuto Yamamoto (centre R) compete for the ball during the Asian Champions League quarter-final football match between China's Tianjin Quanjian and Japan's Kashima Antlers in Macau on September 18, 2018. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP)

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Football

China

Belgian midfielder is set to receive a significant hike in wages
Tottenham fan favourite leaves with ‘unbelievable feeling’ and ‘certain love’ for the club


Belgian midfielder is set to receive a significant hike in wages, as Tottenham fan favourite leaves with ‘unbelievable feeling’ and ‘certain love’ for the club


English Premier League

Mousa Dembele joins Guangzhou R&F in Chinese Super League; says Tottenham ‘feels like my family’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Belgian midfielder is set to receive a significant hike in wages Tottenham fan favourite leaves with ‘unbelievable feeling’ and ‘certain love’ for the club

Belgian midfielder is set to receive a significant hike in wages

Tottenham fan favourite leaves with ‘unbelievable feeling’ and ‘certain love’ for the club