Former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle has revealed that money was the motivation behind his switch to Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng.
Pelle left Southampton last summer and now earns around £13.5 million a season, as reported by the Daily Mail, making him one of the highest paid players in the world.
As reported by Football Italia, Pelle said: “Obviously I would never have come here if it wasn’t for all that money.”
Pelle scored five goals in 15 league games last season but has yet to find the net this campaign, although he has provided two assists in four games.
While he may be earning a significant amount, the move to Shandong Luneng certainly hasn’t been beneficial for his international career as he hasn’t featured in Italy’s last four games.
The 31-year-old spent two seasons with Southampton, scoring 30 goals in 81 appearances across all competitions.
Several players have made the lucrative switch to Chinese football in recent years, including Oscar, Carlos Tevez and Alexandre Pato, Jackson Martinez and Axel Witsel.
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