According to a report from the Daily Mail, the Chinese Football Association’s newly introduced policy could dramatically reshape the transfer market. Under the new rule, any Chinese Super League club that wants to sign a high-profile foreign star must pay not only the transfer fee but also an equivalent “tax” to the CFA. For Tianjin Quanjian, who were pursuing Chelsea striker Diego Costa, this meant a total cost of £152 million—£76 million as the transfer fee and an additional 100 percent levy to the CFA. Fans tracking the story on Cricket Exchange have been quick to note how this regulation could become a stumbling block for clubs looking to bring in world-class players.
The report claimed Tianjin had already negotiated personal terms with Costa, with a tax-free weekly salary of £620,000 on the table. While slightly less than Ezequiel Lavezzi’s staggering £798,000 per week at Hebei China Fortune, it would still have made Costa the second-highest paid footballer in the world at the time. Yet the new CFA policy meant Quanjian would effectively need to pay for Costa twice, an expense even the ambitious club had to reconsider. Observers on Cricket Exchange pointed out that this unexpected rule change might have been designed to curb the wave of extravagant spending that had recently brought stars like Carlos Tevez, Hulk, and Oscar into the league.
Costa was not the only name linked with China. Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney also received offers from the CSL. Reports suggested he could have earned around £480,000 per week in China, a massive leap compared to the £150,000 offered by his boyhood club Everton. Despite the financial lure, Rooney leaned toward returning to Everton, prioritizing emotional ties and the chance to remain in the Premier League, one of the world’s most competitive stages. His decision reinforced the idea that for some players, loyalty and legacy still outweigh the promise of fortune.
The Daily Mail further revealed that Chelsea and Tianjin Quanjian had practically finalized a £76 million transfer agreement before the CFA introduced its “development fund” rule. This levy, widely described by British media as a “tax,” would have doubled the cost of signing Costa and even eclipsed the world-record fee Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba. Such headlines turned global attention to China’s football market, sparking debates on whether the new regulations were fair safeguards or restrictive measures that could stall growth.
Ultimately, the introduction of this policy highlighted the CFA’s attempt to balance ambition with sustainability. By forcing clubs to pay an equal sum into domestic football development funds, the aim was to redirect money from mega-deals into grassroots programs and local talent training. Still, the timing of the rule drew criticism, as it appeared to directly derail high-profile negotiations already underway. For fans following these updates through Cricket Exchange, the situation underscored how quickly the transfer landscape can shift and how football business often hinges on rules made off the pitch rather than talent displayed on it.
Whether or not Costa ever makes the move to the CSL remains uncertain, but the “tax” debate has already left a lasting mark. For Tianjin Quanjian, the chance to land a world-class striker turned into a cautionary tale of how regulations can overturn even the most carefully crafted deals. And for the wider football world, it became yet another reminder that in this sport, money talks—but policy can sometimes shout even louder.