Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has missed out on yet another of his summer targets, with Graziano Pelle spurning the Blues’ advances to join Chinese club Shandong Luneng.
Conte knows the player well from the Italian national team, where Pelle scored two goals on route to the Euro 2016 Quarter-Finals.
However, it’s no secret what has lured him to China, with the Sun reporting that he is now earning an incredible £260,000 a week.
That means only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – and Hulk, who just moved to China himself – earn more, making him the sixth-best paid player in world football.
It’s safe to say it’s not the football which has attracted him, as Shandong are second bottom of the table, having amassed a rather embarrassing total of 13 points from 16 games, managed by Fulham reject Felix Magath.
Pelle will team up with Papiss Cisse, formerly of Newcastle, up front.
Southampton were reluctant to let him go, but a £13million deal has given them a £4million profit on the player who clearly had his heart set on a move away from St Mary’s.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
