Andre-Villas Boas suffered a torrid spell whilst in charge of Chelsea during the 2011/12 season, sacked 2 months before the end his first and only season at the club. Questions of team selection from owner Roman Abramovich and lack of faith from senior players at the club led to Boas' sacking. Now, after a spell at rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg, he finds himself in the Chinese Super League. Replacing Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager of Shanghai SIPG, 4 years after leaving Chelsea and finds himself chasing one of Chelsea's star performers over the past couple of years.
One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure
Despite being ever present in Chelsea's side over the past couple of seasons, Oscar hasn't started a Premier League game since Septmeber for Antonio Conte thus far. With the Italian's 3-5-2 formation not including an attacking midfielder, with summer signing N'golo Kante being preferred in a more defensive role alongside Nemanja Matic. Oscar was signed 4 months after Villas-Boas was dismissed by Chelsea, meaning that the Portuguese manager just missed out on working with him. Having won the Premier League title, Europa League and League cup during a four-year stint in London he has had a successful career at Chelsea. However with first team opportunities currently limited, his time at Stamford Bridge might be coming to an end.
With Shanghai SIPG lining up a £52 million bid for their man.
Chinese Powerhouse
If Oscar decides to switch London for Shanghai he will be joining compatriot Hulk who reunited with Villas-Boas, leaving Zenit in a £47 million move. The Chinese Super League has become a financial powerhouse in recent years, using their strong financial power to attract talent from across the world.
Former Chelsea players Demba Ba and Ramires currently ply their trade in China and Jiangsu Suning notably beat Liverpool to the signing of Alex Teixeira in January. 5 of the 14 best-paid footballers in the world play in China with potential new team-mate Hulk earning a staggering £320,000 a week. The decision to join a Chinese Super League side certainly seems more for financial gain over accolades.
A potential move for Oscar wouldn't be questionable due to his lack of game time at Chelsea, however, a player of his quality would surely attract interest from Europe's top 5 leagues; should he become available next month. Financially greedy players certainly exist in Football, evident with Manchester City's first signings following their takeover in 2008. So if Oscar joins AVB in China, it would be another example of money over matter.
