Graziano Pelle to Shandong Luneng: £260,000-a-week striker becomes Italy’s highest ever paid player

GRAZIANO PELLE has become the latest European star to join the Chinese Super League with a shock £13million switch to Shandong Luneng.

There are no surprises why Pelle, 30, has moved to China: he has become the sixth-best paid player on the planet in terms of wages, making over £260,000 a week.

Pelle has also knocked Wayne Rooney out of the top ten best-paid by their clubs as he goes just behind Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the Italian on £13.6m-a-year.

Rooney will make a lot more money out of endorsements than Pelle, but it shows the power of the Chinese currency that clubs are willing to pay so much.

The 30-goal Saints man joins Papiss Cisse at the Chinese club - who are currently second from bottom of the Super League, having scored just 11 league goals in 17 games so far this term.

Poker-faced German Felix Magath is the manager - he was the boss of Fulham before they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014.

Only five days ago Pelle tweeted his "pleasure" at being back on the South Coast following his escapades in France this summer - suggesting the deal moved quickly.

His last act for the Azzurri before returning to England was to fluff a terrible penalty wide of Manuel Neuer's goal as Italy got knocked out on penalties.