Opinion | Andres Iniesta is right to go and sell wine in Japan if China refuses to stump up the cash to sign him
Barcelona maestro’s chances of joining Chinese Super League side Chongqing Lifan are going down the drain – but the wine entrepreneur would be better off in Kobe anyway
For months Barcelona superstar Andres Iniesta was nailed on for a move to the mainland, but now it looks like he may have dodged a bullet.
Reports in Iniesta’s native Spain claim a proposed transfer to Chinese Super League side Chongqing Lifan is in danger of collapsing, with Japanese club Vissel Kobe stealing a march for the World Cup-winning playmaker.
Chongqing’s crime? Dithering too long over the financial details of the deal. Spanish radio Cadena SER claim the Chinese club have not matched Iniesta’s massive wage demands, despite earlier reports suggesting a US$97-million, three-year contract had been agreed.
That perhaps now explains why no mention of the 33-year-old’s next destination was made when he announced he would be leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season after more than two decades.
Chongqing hurriedly released a statement denying they are trying to sign Iniesta, claiming instead they “will never violate the development prospects of Chinese football” or distort the market with such a huge outlay – in other words, they don’t want to stump up the cash needed for a deal.