Chelsea to Shanghai and back to Europe: Oscar looks to chart a new path

Oscar broke the mold of Premier League players transferring to China, making the move early in his prime years. He hopes other young players will do the same, and then continue their careers back in Europe.

Oscar’s mid-season move to Shanghai SIPG was one of the more surprising transfers of the year. Players in their mid-20’s did not turn down Europe’s big five leagues to go to the world’s wealthiest sunset league. On the other side, Oscar seemed an unlikely candidate to net Chelsea their record windfall.

Oscar cited the financial security the deal would provide for him and his family. For as much money as Chelsea or one of the Milan clubs could offer, Shanghai offered significantly more. Even so, he seemed to be trading his talent, potential and competitive drive for that extra money to go play in a league so far below the Premier League, the continental leagues or his home nation of Brazil.

Unlike most players who move east, though, Oscar does not intend to ride out his career in China. He plans to win several championships with Shanghai SIPG, satisfy himself there and then continue his career back in Europe.

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His compatriot Paulinho has already completed this progression. Paulinho left Tottenham in 2015, played two years at Guangzhou Evergrande and is now at FC Barcelona.

Oscar hopes that more players will follow that lead. The Chinese Super League needs more young players, both foreign and domestic. This will raise the quality of play, starting the positive cycle of recruitment. It will also remove some of the sideways glances young players face when they consider going to China. Oscar’s goal is that it becomes just one more option in a player’s career path.

"I think that the foreign players have a little more responsibility because the Chinese players are very good, so the foreigners coming here… we are players on a very high level. And they are learning with us. – Copa90"

Oscar left Chelsea for Shanghai SIPG at the peak of the Chinese transfer market bubble. The financial incentive is not as strong now as it was for him.

The exorbitant fees and wage packets not only pay for the player, but they offset the risks the player may think he is taking with his career. Until a player is confident that the Chinese Super League is just another stop on the career path – and not the final destination – the league will have to pay above market value for them.

Currently, the league is not able to do so. As a result, few players made the jump to China in the summer transfer window.

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Oscar, Paulinho and other trailblazers have to prove that a player can come back from several years – prime years, no less – in China and still compete in a “big five” league. Otherwise, they will remain the anomalous young Brazilians who arrived when times were good and were standing alone when the money dried up.