5 Players That Left Europe Too Early
European football is considered to be the pinnacle of football. This is where the game is at its best and the players are of top quality. The best clubs and the most fierce competition is in European football and when looking at the greatest players in the history of the sport, a great percentage of them played most of their club football in Europe.
However, the increased monetization of football has seen other countries trying to get in on the action, by attracting players purely based on money or essentially as a retirement league of sorts, where they can play for fun.
The two biggest examples of these could be the Chinese Super League and Major League Soccer in the United States. So who are the 5 players that left Europe too early? Let's find out.
#5 Oscar: Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG
Oscar was considered to be Brazil's next big footballing star. He had skill and was so graceful in how he played. Joining Chelsea from Internacional for € 28 million in 2012, Oscar was widely considered to be an absolute steal for the London based outfit and that he would be a star at the Bridge for years and years to come.
So, Oscar's sudden move to China in the 2016/17 season was all the more surprising. Granted he was having a rocky season at Chelsea, but it wasn't so bad that he wouldn't be able to bounce back from it. He still had the occasional goal and assist and was still holding down a spot in the first-team squad.
Considering the amount of talent Oscar had, it was incredibly surprising to see him leave Europe for the comforts of China at the age of 25. What he could have done if he was still playing in Europe is lost to conjecture, as he sits in China with a cushy contract until 2020.
He is playing really well there having provided 8 goals and 11 assists in 21 games this season.