Oscar looks set to finally leave China, five and a half years after his move in 2017 shocked the entire footballing world.
The Brazilian was one of the best midfielders in Europe at the time, impressing for chelsea during his stay of four and one years.
But many believed Oscar had effectively ended his career at the age of 25 when he opted for a move to Shanghai SIPG, tempted by the £400,000-a-week on offer.
Oscar at Chelsea
Oscar arrived at Chelsea in 2012 as a relatively unknown quantity, signing from Brazilian club Internacional for around £25million. It turned out to be money very well spent.
In his first-ever start for the club, he scored twice against Juventus and Gianluigi Buffon in the Champions League – including an incredible effort. It’s a way to introduce yourself.
He played 64 times in all competitions in his debut season, scoring 12 goals and helping the Blues win the Europa League.
Similar numbers followed in a trophyless 2013/14 season, where he scored 11 goals in 47 appearances.
But during the 2014/15 campaign, Oscar won both the Premier League and the League Cup under Jose Mourinho, scoring a further seven goals.
Things quickly turned sour for Chelsea and Mourinho, although Oscar was still playing under the Portuguese manager until his dismissal in December 2015.
Antonio Conte was the next permanent manager but, halfway through his first season in charge, Oscar was drawn to the finances of the Chinese Super League.
Oscar’s move to China
Chelsea would win the Premier League under Conte, but Oscar left for Shanghai in January for £67million, or £400,000 a week. This made him one of the highest paid players in the world.
Although many European clubs are interested in signing him, Oscar admitted he is thinking about supporting his family rather than his own career.
“China has incredible financial power and sometimes makes offers players can’t refuse,” he admitted.
Oscar said he would be interested in returning to Europe to continue playing at the highest level, but it’s now been five and a half years…
He has since been joined by Carlos Tevez, Hulk, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marouane Fellaini, John Obi Mikel and Marko Arnautovic in China.
How did Oscar do in China?
In total, Oscar has scored 44 goals in 148 appearances for Shanghai SIPG.
He helped the club win the Super League in 2018, scoring 12 goals in that league season, and the Chinese FA Super Cup in 2019.
However, he made headlines in 2017 when he was banned for eight matches for deliberately kicking the ball twice at Guangzhou players.
But his move to China has cost his international career dearly, adding nothing to his 48 caps since arriving in China.
Footage from his time in China shows that Oscar sometimes appeared a level above his opponents – and that’s perhaps unsurprising:
How much money did Oscar earn in China?
So Oscar was paid £400,000 a week for five and a half years. When you consider the endorsements, that’s a ridiculous amount of money.
In salaries alone, Oscar would have pocketed around £114 million! That’s about four times what he would have earned had he stayed in Europe.
Can you really blame him for moving to China?
What next for Oscar?
It looks like Oscar’s European football career is over. He is now 30 years old and has only a few months left on his contract in Shanghai.
And according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, he will return to Brazil to sign for Flamengo after being pictured wearing their shirt.
This ‘leaked’ photo is true: here is Oscar wearing a Flamengo shirt, now waiting for the final details to be worked out with Shanghai SIPG. Green light expected soon for the completion of the operation. 🚨🔴⚫️ #flamengo
… and despite the denials, Oscar is very close to joining Flamengo. pic.twitter.com/B3ZG2XLzMc
— Fabrice Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 1, 2022
While the Serie A club won’t be able to match his £400,000-a-week salary, Oscar will return to his homeland with over £114million in his back pocket for his time spent in China.
Yes, he could have had a much more successful career playing in Europe.
But he will have a pension fund…
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