Zenit star Hulk set for $60mn move to China

28 Jun, 2016 13:26 / Updated 8 years ago

Brazilian footballer Hulk is set to move from Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg to China’s Shanghai SIPG in a $60 million deal, according to media reports.

A fee for the striker has already been agreed and Hulk will arrive in China this week, Sky Sports reports.

The deal could be worth up to $430,000 a week for the player, according to British newspaper the Sun. 

Hulk, 29, joined Zenit in September 2012 from Portuguese side Porto, reportedly for a fee of around $45 million, and helped the side win the Russian Premier League in the 2014-15 season.

In his four seasons at Zenit, Hulk has scored 75 goals in 147 appearances - including four goals in the UEFA Champions League last season, although Zenit failed to qualify for next season’s tournament after finishing third in the Russian Premier League. 

The Brazilian has a contact until 2019, but is now set to link up with former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson in the Chinese Super League.  

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Shanghai SIPG currently find themselves in fourth place in the Chinese Super League, trailing leaders Guangzhou Evergrande by 12 points.  

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The fee will be a new Asian club record, eclipsing the $50 million Jiangsu paid for  Brazilian Alex Teixeira when they bought him from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in January.

Hulk will be the latest big-name addition to the Chinese Super League as it seeks to be part of a massive push to develop football in the country.   

READ MORE: China plans to become global football powerhouse