Chelsea have announced that midfielder Oscar has agreed to join Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.
The Brazilian midfielder spent four years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League, Europa League and League Cup during that time.
He is now set for a contract reportedly worth as much as £20 million-per-year in the Chinese Super League, while the £52m (€60m) fee being paid to the Blues makes him the club’s most expensive ever sale as well as one of the biggest deals to ever take a player out of the Premier League.
“Oscar will arrive in Shanghai in the coming days and he will become a member of our team,” read a statement from Shanghai SIPG. “The playmaker, who is renowned for his attacking abilities, will help the club push for the title in the new season.”
After Chelsea confirmed that a bid had been made for Oscar earlier in December, Blues manager Antonio Conte expressed his sorrow that such a talented player was leaving his squad.
“I am sorry because he’s leaving as a really good player and a really good man,” the Italian remarked. “I must be honest about this but I also understand him and his decision.”
The 25-year-old had struggled to nail down a regular place in Conte’s team at Stamford Bridge, having made only five starts in the Premier League this season and a further four appearances off the bench, as well as playing twice in the League Cup.
Over his full Chelsea career, Oscar racked up 203 total appearances in all competitions, scoring 38 goals in the process.
He now joins a former Blues boss in the form of Andre Villas-Boas, although the two’s spells with the London club never overlapped.
Shanghai become Oscar’s fourth senior club, the midfielder having previously turned out for Sao Paulo and Internacional in his native Brazil.
He joins a growing list of increasingly high-profile players making the move to China as the economically powerful nation sees more and more money flood into its game.