Big News For Chelsea And Arsenal – Chinese Super League Forced To Reduce Its Spending Prowess

Recent big-money deals for Oscar, Carlos Tevez, Axel Witsel and lately even Diego Costa may have claimed the headlines but, throughout the last two years, Chinese football has increasingly been seen as a potential home to some of the best talent Asia has to offer. Even Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez is linked with a Chinese move. So, some good news for both Arsenal and Chelsea.

 The Chinese FA said in a statement today that the unidentified steps would target the “operations and management” of teams in the top-tier China Super League and the China Premier League one step below it.

The new measures will address “recent irrational investments by clubs, high-figure transfer fees and salaries paid to domestic and international athletes and other issues,” the CFA said in a news release.

Astronomical spending by Chinese clubs on players such as Argentina’s Carlos Tevez has drawn global attention, raising fears among some that foreign stars are depriving local players of opportunities to grow and stifling the government’s attempts to produce talent capable of achieving its stated goal of winning the World Cup by 2050.

However, in a move which could impact on further stellar signings, the Chinese FA confirmed in a statement on the organization’s official website that new rules would be brought in from the start of the 2017 domestic campaign, which is scheduled for March.

The changes will also see two Chinese players aged under 23 named in matchday squads, at least one of whom must start the game. Clubs will be able to have five foreign players in their squad, but only three of them will be permitted to be on the field at any one time, with the “3+1″ rule around Asian players also scrapped.

The transfer window in China is open until February 28.