Former Chelsea star Oscar insists he has ‘no regrets’ over moving to China but has hinted that a return to the Premier League could be on the cards.
The Brazilian playmaker quit Stamford Bridge back in 2016 to become one of the most high-profile players to move over to the Chinese Super League. He put pen to paper on a lucrative contract with Shanghai SIPG, becoming one of the highest paid players in world football in the process.
His move triggered an influx of stars moving to China, only for the money to quickly evaporate as the Government brought in more stringent spending rules for clubs. Sides now have to pay huge fees to a youth development fund for foreign signings worth over £5.2m, whilst salaries have been capped at £2.6m per year.
Despite that, Oscar still backs his decision to wave goodbye to European football despite approaching his peak at the time. Speaking to Premier League Brasil, the Brazilian said: "It had only good results, both financially and in terms of getting to know a new country and football.
“I think I learned a lot and evolved here [in China]. In the five years that I stayed at Chelsea, I was very important for the team.
“I left at a time when we were winning a lot of games with [Antonio] Conte. I played the first 15 league games and then I got injured. Then I started to stay on the substitute bench, but the team kept winning and Conte kept it.
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“So I lost space in the team, the opportunity came to Shanghai and I embraced it. I have no regrets. I had a beautiful trajectory there, in my career I managed to do everything I dreamed of and I am also very happy here.”
Oscar is still only, 31 and a return to Europe has regularly been touted for the 48-cap Brazilian international. Whilst he insists that a switch back is not currently on his agenda, he has hinted that if he receives a tempting offer - particularly from England - then he might be inclined to consider it.
Asked if he still has a dream of returning to Europe, he replied: “I don't think so. As I played for Chelsea for five years, I fulfilled my dream of playing for a big club in Europe. But if you paint something in a cool team, of course, we can think about it.
“The Premier League is my favourite league. It's where I played, where I adapt very well, there's a game similar to mine, a dynamic and very fast game, so it was a league that I really enjoyed playing. If I could go back to the Premier League, that would be really cool. I also like Italy, I have an Italian passport.”
Since joining Shanghai SIPG, Oscar has made 175 appearances for the Chinese side, scoring 52 goals. He helped the club win the Chinese Super League in 2018, whilst he also lifted the Chinese FA Super Cup the following year.
