While Manchester United's Marcos Rojo has shown the world his fondness for flying into wild two-footed challenges on the football pitch in recent weeks, former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher has done so in a metaphorical sense as he slated Chelsea midfielder Oscar for his decision to up sticks and head for China.
The talented Brazilian will be joining his compatriot Hulk at Shanghai SIPG as one of a growing number of samba stars who have decided to play in China while earning obscene amounts of cash. Oscar will be the third highest player in world football, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi... It really does beggar belief.
When a deal that generous is put on the table, it's got to be really difficult to turn down, but Jamie Carragher is not impressed with the decision as Oscar is deciding to opt for the Chinese league at just 25 years of age, considered by many to be the start of a footballer's "prime" years.
In his regular column for the Daily Mail, Carragher did not hold back as he explained why he believes the decision to accept Shanghai SIPG's offer as "embarrassing":
It is a sad day for football when a player about to enter his prime moves for financial reasons and nothing else. The money is astronomical, but it's not as if he is on a pittance at Chelsea.
This is not a move to further his career. He will talk about the league growing in China, the chance to work with Andre Villas-Boas and the excitement about a new adventure — but we all know those words will be nonsense.
He has gone for the size of the contract. Nothing else. Players used to look for a pay day in their mid-thirties when their career was coming to an end. We all understood that.
With the riches now on offer in China, I could understand a player's head getting turned when he reaches 30 — but 25?
It is embarrassing that a player would give up his career and the chance to compete for the biggest prizes in the game just for money.
This is a big problem for top clubs. What position will they be in now when negotiating contracts knowing China can blow them away financially?
He may have gone in two-footed, but he's caught a big chunk of the ball, it does indeed seem crazy that he's willing to leave European football behind. And Carragher is absolutely spot on regarding what will be said by the player once he completes the move, it's all bullshit.
On the other hand, he's securing his and his family's financial security for the rest of their lives. He isn't playing at Chelsea, either, so while he could indeed find another club in Europe to take him if he wants regular football, he'd probably be looking at a pay cut while trying to adapt to a new league and football culture.
That will certainly be the case in terms of adapting to China, but the financial reward is clear and substantial. He will also be one of the very top players in the league, so as much as Carragher is entitled to slam the decision, it won't bother Oscar at all.
