Forgotten Chelsea superstar close to exit after €175m deal

Former Chelsea superstar Oscar is set to leave Shanghai Port after eight years in China.

The Brazilian became the face of the Chinese Super League when he surprisingly traded London for Shanghai in January 2017, leaving Chelsea at the peak of his powers in a move that was widely criticised.

Aged 25 at the time, Oscar was accused – even by coach Antonio Conte – of following the money. Chelsea pocketed a whopping €60 million for the brilliant attacking midfielder during what was the height of the Super League’s spending.

READ MORE: Chelsea eye PSG star centre-back at cut-price

The CSL bubble eventually burst and the league never managed to fulfil its goal of establishing itself among football’s elite. In the years since Oscar’s move, scores of clubs have fallen by the wayside and the level of domestic play still lags behind other top leagues in Asia.

Oscar is the last remnant of the CSL’s brief golden age, but he, too, is now set for a change of scenery.

Oscar to leave Shanghai

With three CSL titles under his belt, Oscar is in the dying throes of his time in China. The domestic season ended last month but Shanghai remain in contention for a spot in the AFC Champions League Elite knockout stage.

The Brazilian converted a spot-kick to salvage a 1-1 draw with South Korean side Gwangju on Tuesday. Despite all but confirming in September that he was set to leave Shanghai when his contract expires this month, he was coy about his future after the game.

“I will make my final decision with my family in the coming days and weeks,” he simply said. Still, the expectation is that Oscar will move back to the Americas in January, though it remains to be seen whether the 33-year-old will return to Brazil or head to Major League Soccer.

READ MORE: Enzo Maresca believes €100m flop will come good

Oscar wants to be closer to his family but has repeatedly stated that it will be difficult to leave Shanghai, which has become his second home over the previous eight years.

“The quality of life here is something I haven’t experienced anywhere else. It’s out of this world. Only those who live here know what I mean,” he previously said, with his quality of life certainly aided by his sizeable salary.

When he joined Shanghai, Oscar became the second-best-paid footballer in the world and it is thought that he has pocketed an eye-watering €175m just in terms of his salary over the course of his eight years in China.

Despite all the criticism he has received for his decision to move to Asia, Oscar has enjoyed a fruitful career. He has regularly won silverware and racked up by far the most assists in the CSL’s 20-year history. At the end of the month, his adventure in China will come to an end.