Ezequiel Lavezzi has revealed that he turned down interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan before joining Chinese Super League side Hebei.
The 30-year-old was one of a handful of high-profile players, including Ramires, Alex Teixeira and Jackson Martinez, who moved to the Chinese top flight over the past two months.
Lavezzi, who spent three-and-a-half years at Paris Saint-Germain, has admitted that the lucrative salary, which is expected to pocket him €15m (£11.7m) a season, was part of what attracted him to Hebei.
"I could have signed for Inter, Chelsea or Manchester United," Lavezzi told Canal+. "But I made the decision to go to China. It's an important choice for my career, I'm sure I'll face many challenges here.
"I like the project to develop this club. It was that which convinced me to come to Hebei, as well as the financial aspect. I'm also fascinated by Chinese culture, so to come and play here is definitely an interesting challenge."
Lavezzi has also admitted that he expects his international career with Argentina to be over.
Danielle Joynson
