Oscar will become one of the world’s highest-paid footballers if he leaves Chelsea to move to the lucrative Chinese Super League next month, according to The Times.

The newspaper claims that Shanghai SIPG, who currently have former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas in charge, are willing to give Oscar a staggering £400,000 a week.

If the Brazilian accepts the £60m move, he is expected to be earning a salary of £20m per year in the Far East, which would put him only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the money stakes, reports the Metro.

Surprisingly, Oscar, who has not started a Premier League game since September, will be earning more than Real Madrid star Gareth Bale and Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi after tax.

The Metro claims that Ronaldo tops the charts with £20.8m per year after signing a new six-year deal in October, while Bale is third on £18.7m and Messi fourth on £14m per year.

One inclusion in the list that may raise eyebrows is Ezequiel Lavezzi, who is reported to be the world’s fourth best-paid player after joining Hebei China Fortune earlier this year.

The eye-watering figures being mentioned in reports linking Oscar with a switch to China has caused mixed reactions on Twitter.

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