Chelsea, Liverpool gazumped by China for Alex Teixeira

The 13th season of the Chinese Super League is set to get underway in a few weeks, as teams gear up to dethrone back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back champions Guangzhou Evergrande in what is their equivalent of the European summer transfer window.  Combined with owners spending money on an unprecedented scale, it's not that surprising that most of the big moves for the European winter transfer window have involved Chinese Super League teams.  Now, following the record-breaking transfers of Ramires and Jackson Martinez, it looks like China will beak the transfer record for Asian football a third time in just a few weeks, by gazumping both Chelsea and Liverpool for Alex Teixeira.

As we might recall, Shakhtar Donetsk were holding firm on the €50m asking price for Teixeira, which had eventually deterred Premier League interest over the course of January.  But for Jiangsu Suning, who had already spent half as much for Ramires earlier, that's no problem.  And while Teixeira himself had stated multiple times that it's his dream to play in the Premier League, for Chelsea or Liverpool or whoever was willing to fork out the money for him, it would seem that he might just end up going in the opposite direction, to the east.

"It's true, we have sold in China."

-Mircea Lucescu; source: L'Equipe via Google Translate

That's Shakthar's coach apparently confirming the move to French paper L'Equipe Thursday night.  Boom.

Alex Teixeira (Donetsk) en Chine pour 50 M ! https://t.co/Wxc1IZWO6V pic.twitter.com/BRoAZIzV53

— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) February 4, 2016

The Chinese transfer window remains open for another three weeks (February 26).  What more madness shall follow?