Wu Lei’s Espanyol debut attracts 40 million viewers in China – despite striker playing just 12 minutes
- La Liga club claim social media increase of more than half a million followers in China
- The €2 million deal for Chinese Super League striker looks to be a masterstroke
Espanyol look to have pulled off the steal of the January transfer window with the €2 million (US$2.26 million) deal for China striker Wu Lei, if the mind-boggling marketing numbers surrounding his debut are any indication.
Wu came off the bench to play just 12 minutes of Espanyol’s 2-2 draw away to Villarreal in Spain’s top flight La Liga on Sunday, in his first game since signing from Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG last month.
And the Catalan club, who are owned by Chinese billionaire Chen Yansheng, have claimed his brief cameo was followed by more than 40 million people in China through various online television platforms.
In a statement, Espanyol said this “certifies the enormous media expectation of the soccer player in his country of origin”.
The early kick-off time for the match in Spain, which is seven hours behind China, will have no doubt helped viewing numbers.