Chelsea have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Shanghai SIPG over the transfer of Oscar.
Reports emerged earlier this month that Chelsea had agreed a whopping £60m fee for Oscar and the club have now confirmed that the transfer will indeed take place. Manager Antonio Conte last week said he was disappointed that a player of Oscar’s caliber was choosing to leave and questioned whether players have passion for the sport these days.
In a statement posted on their official website, Chelsea confirmed the deal saying :
“Chelsea Football Club and Shanghai SIPG have agreed terms for the permanent transfer of Oscar. The 25-year-old will join the Chinese Super League team at the beginning of the January transfer window.
He has been a Chelsea player for four-and-a-half years, helping us lift the Premier League, League Cup and Europa League as well as scooping two Chelsea Goal of the Season awards after stunning strikes against Juventus in 2012, on his full debut, and QPR in 2014.
Skilful and tenacious, Oscar has been highly regarded by fans, players and staff during his time as a Blue, scoring 38 times from 203 Chelsea appearances. We thank Oscar for his wonderful service and wish him the very best of luck for the future.”
Oscar was also pictured holding a Shanghai SIPG shirt on Twitter :
OFFICIAL: Shanghai SIPG completed the signing of Brazilian star Oscar from Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/C2FWudPr7s
— TransferMarkt China (@asaikana) December 23, 2016
Oscar, who is into his fifth year as a Chelsea player this season, was signed in 2012 from Internacional for a fee of £19.35 million. He quickly established himself as a key member of the squad and became known for his hard-working performances with the tendency to pop up with important goals.
Oscar’s brilliant curling finish against Juventus in the Champions League in the 2012-2013 campaign was voted as Chelsea’s goal of the season. It was one of several long-range efforts that Oscar has scored over the years. The news that at just 25 years of age Oscar was going to China was quite surprising to many.
The Brazilian still has his peak years ahead of him and the Chinese league is still a competition that has grown in stature with the array of stars that have arrived in China. Oscar joins other well-known players like Jackson Martinez, Gervinho and Paulinho in the Chinese Super League.
It is rumoured that Chelsea will spend the money from the sale on new players immediately.
