It has been confirmed that Oscar will be joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in a deal worth £52 million from Chelsea, in the January transfer window. The deal comes as a shock to many, despite the Brazilian’s lack of playing time this term especially with European giants Juventus showing an interest in Oscar for quite some time now.
However, the 25-year old has decided to join hands with former boss Andre Villas-Boas and will most likely earn the triple of his current wages at Chelsea. It has become a trend among Brazil nationals to move to China and Oscar joins a long list of Brazilian footballers who are plying their trade in the Super League. But here we give you three reasons why the move wasn’t the right one for Oscar:
National Team Chances will suffer
Oscar has been a constant feature in the Brazil National Team over the past few years and has been a key performer for the Selecao ever since his emergence. The 25-year old has made 70 appearances for the national team and has scored 16 goals so far. But with his move to China, the chances of him featuring for the Brazilian team may take a dent as has been the case with many players in the past. However, it is not necessary that things go in the same direction for Oscar after he joins Shanghai SIPG, but there is a good chance that his involvement in the national team might reduce.
Development will be hampered
At just 25 years of age, Oscar has his best years ahead of him and by moving to China, he may have scuppered his opportunity to continue his development on the biggest stages that club football has to offer. He may have found playing time hard to come by at Stamford Bridge, but with his immense talents, there was no shortage of suitors for the Brazilian in Europe. Many heavyweights had their eyes on the playmaker and he would have had the best opportunity to continue his progress on the way to fulfil his incredible potential had he stayed back in Europe.
Missed Opportunity to play among the elite
Despite the growing trend of players moving to the Chinese Super League in the past year or so, Europe remains the biggest centre of attraction in football. The best and the biggest players across the world want to ply their trade in some of the most competitive and elite leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy etc. And having moved away from Chelsea and Europe, Oscar has missed out on an opportunity to play for some of the best clubs in the world, alongside some of the best players in the game. At his age, such a move does bring into question his ambition and desire to play at the topmost level.