It must be hard to decline an annual salary of €6.7m

And another Bundesliga player leaves - Dortmund’s Lucas Barrios follows Podolski’s and Marin’s footsteps, except he’s not moving to the Premier League, but to China! The Paraguayan international has stunned football by joining Guangzhou Evergrande for a record €8.5m.

That pot of gold which sits at the bottom of a rainbow must be in China, simply ask Dario Conca who joined Guangzhou Evergrande last year to become one of the highest paid players in the world. Why else did he go? And now the Borussia Dortmund striker has boosted his bank account transforming into the other star of the team.

After two prolific seasons in Germany, the third was a nightmare for Barrios as injury, drop in form and the incredible rise of Robert Lewandowski relegated him to a warm place on the bench. Despite showing signs of return as he recently scored a hat-trick against Kaiserslautern, Barrios demanded regular playing time and chose Asia above other European offers.

The lucrative Chinese league is luring an array of world class players to increase its popularity and exploit the astronomical potential. High profile names such as Drogba, Del Piero and more recently Michael Owen, could be the next fading European stars to sign multi-million contracts. Previously, the MLS or the Middle East was the destination for a footballer to enjoy his final years at a less stressful level, but China now has the power and ambition to lead that echelon.

However, their aspirations have extended by signing another 27 year old who’s still in the prime of his career and although this is a surprise to many, it’s the continuation of a long term project. [posted by DV]