<div id="attachment_164505" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/lavezzi1.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-164505" loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20160217_WST_164504_lavezzi1-600x458.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=458" alt="Photo credit: AFP" width="600" height="458" class="size-large wp-image-164505" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/02/lavezzi1-600x458.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/02/lavezzi1-150x114.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/02/lavezzi1-300x229.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/02/lavezzi1.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>Photo credit: AFP</div>
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi has signed with Hebei China Fortune, his new club said Wednesday, making the 30-year-old the latest European-based footballer drawn east by jaw-dropping sums.
Hebei described him as “the next Maradona” on a verified social media account. It did not disclose a transfer fee, but previous British press reports said Lavezzi would earn 23.5 million pounds ($33.6 million) over two years.
“His arrival will make the team’s attack more incisive, we look forward to him showing off his brave spirit,” the Chinese club added.
Website transfermarkt, which tracks commercial developments in the sport, gave the transfer fee as 5.5 million euros ($6.1 million).
Chinese teams have been splashing their cash in Europe, as wealthy owners embrace President Xi Jinping’s vision of the sleeping Asian giant becoming a new footballing heavyweight.
Hebei China Fortune are owned by a Beijing-based developer of industrial parks, founded by billionaire Wang Wenxue.
At the club, Lavezzi will join Ivorian striker Gervinho, who signed for 18 million euros in January, along with Cameroon captain and former Marseille centre-back Stephane Mbia.
Lavezzi joined PSG in 2012 for 30 million euros from Napoli, but has been used mainly as a substitute this season, with just three league starts.
The current transfer window shuts on February 26 in China, and has already seen big-money moves by Brazilians Alex Teixeira and Ramires, along with <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/02/03/jackson-martinez-joins-evergrande-in-record-46-million-chinese-deal/">Colombia’s Jackson Martinez</a>, to join the cash-flush China Super League.
The Chinese transfer fee record has been smashed four times in the current transfer window, culminating in <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/02/05/alex-teixeira-joins-chinese-super-league-club-in-38-million-move/">Jiangsu Suning paying Shakhtar Donetsk 50 million euros for Teixeira</a>.
This week, China-based Australian footballer Tim Cahill — who later had his contract terminated by Shanghai Greenland Shenhua — said that <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/02/08/tim-cahill-says-greed-is-behind-chinese-super-leagues-record-spending/">many of the new arrivals were motivated by greed</a>.
“You’re turning down Liverpool, you’re leaving Chelsea,” Cahill told an Australian television station, referring to the former clubs of Teixeira and Ramires.
“The choices that players are making are not about football like it was in my day, they’re purely about personal gains and it depends what you want as an individual,” he said.
“Is it going to help players? No. Is it going to be big for the country? Yes.”
China is pumping money into the beautiful game, hoping to build a national football culture to match its rising economic and military might.
Chinese businesses have invested huge sums in football since <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/02/01/chinese-soccer-clubs-spend-big-as-president-xi-dreams-of-glory/">Xi declared that hosting, qualifying for, and winning a World Cup were national goals</a> — even though the country is currently ranked a lowly 93rd in the world by FIFA.

PSG's Ezequiel Lavezzi signs for Hebei China Fortune - World Soccer Talk

PSG's Ezequiel Lavezzi signs for Hebei China Fortune

<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/12/29/ezequiel-lavezzi-fuels-exit-speculation-after-failing-to-report-for-paris-saint-germain-training/gazzetta_sport-750/" rel="attachment wp-att-125612"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/12/29/ezequiel-lavezzi-fuels-exit-speculation-after-failing-to-report-for-paris-saint-germain-training/gazzetta_sport-750/" rel="attachment wp-att-125612"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-125612" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20141229_WST_125607_gazzetta_sport.750-600x845.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=845" alt="" width="600" height="845" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/12/gazzetta_sport.750-600x845.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/12/gazzetta_sport.750-150x211.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/12/gazzetta_sport.750-300x422.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/12/gazzetta_sport.750.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure></div>
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi has failed to report for training ahead of the French champions friendly against Inter Milan tomorrow.
The Argentina international has been the subject of transfer speculation for some time as his relationship with PSG manager Laurnet Blanc deteriorated this season.
Liverpool, Inter Milan and Napoli have reportedly been monitoring the 29-year-old’s situation in France. But it appears that Internazionale have beaten the Premier League side and their Serie A rivals to the player’s signature.
The Italian publication&nbsp;Gazzetta dello Sport&nbsp;is reporting that Lavezzi is close to completing a move to Milan, with a deal set to be announced before the opening of the January transfer window in Italy.
The newspaper states that manager Roberto Mancini has targeted the PSG forward, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/12/25/lukas-podolski-nearing-arsenal-exit-as-inter-milan-target-the-german-striker/">as well as Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski,</a> as his primary targets to jump start the Nerazzurri’s season. Inter Milan currently sit in eleventh place in Serie A, although the club is only six points off from Champions League qualification.
What has yet to be determined is whether the Argentine will move on a permanent deal, or if the forward will initially arrive on-loan this season with Internazionale holding an option to buy.
Lavezzi joined PSG from Napoli in July 2012 for a reported fee of £21 million; his current deal with the French side runs until 2016.
In two seasons with PSG, the forward has made 73 appearances, scoring 14 times for the Parisians.&nbsp;Of Lavezzi’s thirteen league appearances this season, the 29-year-old has only started eight times&nbsp;for the defending Ligue Un champions due to injury and poor form.
The forward is hoping a switch in leagues and a change of scenery will improve his playing time, since he believes he has fallen down manager Laurent Blanc’s pecking order in France.

PSG's Ezequiel Lavezzi signs for Hebei China Fortune

Ezequiel Lavezzi

PSG's Ezequiel Lavezzi signs for Hebei China Fortune

Ezequiel Lavezzi

Lavezzi fuels exit talk after failing to report for PSG training