Ex-Chelsea midfielder Oscar teases Premier League return 6 years after moving to China to become world's highest paid player
Former Chelsea star Oscar has said that he would welcome a return to the Premier League, saying that the English top flight is his favourite league in the world.
In January 2017, the then-Brazil international and Chelsea midfielder Oscar announced his decision to move to Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port. According to the Daily Mail, Shanghai paid a staggering £67 million to pull off the shock transfer, breaking the Asian transfer record.
They signed Oscar in a £400,000-per-week deal, making him one of the highest-paid players in the world. Oscar has since played 176 games for the club, scoring 52 times and claiming 96 assists.
In an interview with Premier League Brasil, Oscar said that he did not regret moving away from Europe at the age of 25, insisting that he enjoyed exploring China. He, however, refused to commit the rest of his career to Shanghai Port, admitting that it would be ‘cool’ if he got to play in the Premier League again.
Oscar said (via the Daily Mail):
“There's a game (in the Premier League) 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.”
Oscar spent five years at Chelsea before sealing his transfer to China in 2017. The two-time Premier League winner played 203 games for them across competitions, scoring 38 times and providing 36 assists.
Oscar enjoyed impressive spell at Chelsea
Chelsea splurged a handsome €32 million fee to sign Oscar from Brazilian outfit Internacional in the summer of 2012. The versatile midfielder wasted no time settling into his new surroundings.
A natural attacking midfielder, Oscar proved his potency in central midfield and either flank. He knew when to release the ball, was capable of shooting from range and linked up effortlessly with teammates. When in full flight, Oscar was almost impossible to contain.
In his debut 2012-13 season, Oscar played in a staggering 64 games across competitions, scoring 12 times and providing 11 assists. Before leaving for Shanghai in January 2017, the Brazilian played 131 Premier League games, scoring 21 times and claiming 24 assists.
The 2014-15 Premier League season was the best of his career, scoring six times and providing eight assists as Chelsea won the league. Oscar’s second Premier League title came in the 2017-18 season after he had left for Shanghai.
He also won the 2012-13 Europa League trophy and the 2015 Carabao Cup with the Pensioners.