Zenit confirm Prem target Axel Witsel to join the Chinese revolution with Tianjin Quanjian
£300,000 a week! One-time Everton and Chelsea target admits 'there was crucial offer for my family I couldn’t turn down'
FC Zenit have confirmed that Tianjin Quanjian have agreed a deal for their Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel.
Newly-promoted Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian sealed the deal by offering Witzel nearly £300,000 a week.
Witsel signed on in St Petersburg in September 2012 and spent five seasons with the blue and white sky blues, playing 180 matches and scoring 22 goals.
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He helped Zenit win the Russian league title, the Russian Cup and the Russian Super Cup.
But money - in this case mega money - talks and he's on his way with the Zenit website waving him goodbye with this message:
"Everyone here at Zenit wishes to thanks Axel for his contribution to the club's history."
Everton boss Ronald Koeman is an admirer and thought he was close to doing a deal last summer.
Chelsea attempted to arrange a January deal for the 76-cap international but fell behind Juventus in the race for his signature.
Everything was agreed for Witsel’s move to Turin, with the player himself saying in November: “I’ll join Juventus. That will be the case. Right now I don’t know when.”
But Witsel finally admitted that his choice of new club was based on money.
He said: "It was a very difficult decision because on one hand there was a great team and a top club like Juventus.
“But on the other there was a crucial offer for my family that I couldn’t turn down."