In this year’s winter transfers, China has made enormous investments in the transfer market. What implications does this have for football and the FIFA series?
China is a country of superlatives. This cannot be disputed. 1.37 billion inhabitants live in the most populous country on Earth. Furthermore, it has risen to become the second-largest economic power in recent decades. And now, the People’s Republic is investing money in football. A lot of money.
China is investing heavily in football
The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, wants to do something about the backward football conditions in his country and transform it into the largest football superpower. This modest undertaking can only be realized with astronomical investments, as China has a rather short history in football.
One important step toward becoming a football superpower is to make Chinese football interesting for a large audience. Football enthusiasts need to turn their attention to China first. The Chinese could build some fancy stadiums or offer the cheapest ticket prices ever – but nothing seems as efficient as attracting world-class players to the country. With money. A lot of money.
During this winter transfer period, Chinese clubs have invested more money than ever before and struck some mega-deals. For Alex Teixeira, Jackson Martinez, Ramires, Gervinho, Demba Ba, Fredy Guarín, and Paulinho, a total of 170 million euros has been spent. And this is just the beginning. It can be expected that a considerable amount of money will be spent during the summer transfer window as well.
The Chinese Super League is steadily gaining fans and national and international recognition. Transfers like Messi or Ronaldo would catapult the league into the spotlight of football. Rumors about this already exist. So far, not much has been heard about “Financial Fair Play” in China.
What impact does this have on FIFA 16: FUT?
Every winter, EA Sports transfers those players in Ultimate Team mode to their new clubs who also switch clubs in the real football world. After all, the football simulation needs to stay up to date.
However, the problem with these winter transfers is this: When a player moves to a league for which EA does not have a license, the player disappears from the packs. He can no longer be drawn. And the Chinese Super League is not included in FIFA 16. In other words: All players who move to China cannot appear in the sets anymore.
This is not too dramatic in FIFA 16, as these players are still available as cards with their old clubs and can be purchased on the transfer market. In FIFA 17, the upcoming installment of the FIFA series, this will look quite different.
FIFA 17 without some world-class players?
FIFA 17 could spoil the mood for players without players like Ramires, a true beast in midfield (especially in terms of pace). After all, console athletes want to play with their favorite players. That is precisely the unique selling point of the football simulation from EA Sports.
One does not need to be a prophet to predict that the Super League will be in high demand. EA will probably also know that they need to acquire the licenses for this league to keep FIFA fans engaged.
However, considering China’s promotion plans, it can even be assumed that this could be the easiest negotiation between them and a league for EA: It would not be surprising if China even pays EA to have EA Sports include the Super League in FIFA 17. Because this would further increase the visibility of their league.
Money rules the world. That’s just how it is. And in China, there is a lot of it waiting to be invested in football. So it would not be surprising if there are some deals between EA and China: New features, like a specific Super League TOTY, or that young Chinese footballers become the new wonder kids in the game, are not out of the question. Because EA has never been known to turn down money.
What do you think about the developments and efforts in football in China? How could this impact the FIFA series in your opinion?
Currently, the winter upgrades are in full swing. Here you can find all the information about it.
