Yet the capture of the Croatian defender by the 2018 champions for a modest 3.3 million euros fee could prove to be a landmark moment in a league that had become a byword for the largesse of 21st century football.
Club closures and middling transfer fees are a long way from an era when the league had the biggest names in the game looking over their shoulders, but the new campaign is set to usher in a less extravagant era when it kicks off in April. As a result, the current mood is vastly different to a time when, fuelled by the deep pockets of the country’s private sector, Chinese clubs were shaking up the global transfer market.
The moves ignited a scene that had, over the previous four years, been dominated by Guangzhou Evergrande, the club that established the template for success in China.Guangzhou's acquisition of Argentine Dario Conca for a then-record $10 million spurred the club to the first of their seven consecutive league titles in 2011 and owners Evergrande, one of the country's leading property developers, wanted more.
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Source: staronline - 🏆 4. / 75 Read more »