But Conca will be earning a wage comparable with the world’s best, at $184k a week. He would break Arsenal’s wage structure if this was translated to the Premier League giants.
Yet Guangzhou are flush with cash thanks to new owner Xu Jiayin, the multi millionaire with a fortune bankrolling the club’s growth.
Just two years ago they were relegated but their financial muscle means that they can compete with the best and have proven that by bringing in Conca, who helped Fluminense win last year’s Brazilian championship.
With a huge fanbase, and 50,000 coming to their games, an attendance which would tower over most in Brazil, this is a club on the move, and who will be taking on traditional world giants Real Madrid next month. They want to win the Asian Champions League within three years and will seemingly stop at nothing to do so.
Almost the best supported club in Asia, they signed Muriqui from Atletico Mineiro last year to signal their intent in the transfer market.
Having won the second division last year, going 35 games unbeaten in the process (a club record), they are now home to a number of Brazilians. Paulao, Renato Caja, Cleo and coach Renato Hiroshi make the club an hospitable place for Brazilians and the club of choice in China for the South American giants.
This week Dalian Wanda poured in $72 million to the Chinese game by sponsoring the Chinese league, and it looks like an investment which will help China grow the game in the country. After a huge defeat to Oman in the Olympic qualifiers, it is time for China to develop its football scene.
Guangzhou look set to be at the heart of that progress.
