Alex Teixeira makes big money move to Chinese club for $56 mn

Shakhtar Donetsk striker Alex Teixeira has joined Chinese club Jiangsu Suning for a fee of 50 million euros ($56 million), the Ukrainian club said in a statement on Thursday.

Teixeira, 26, joined Shakhtar in December 2009 and has scored 89 goals in 223 appearances for the club.

"Shakhtar Donetsk and Jiangsu Suning FC have agreed on all the necessary formalities for the transfer of Alex Teixeira to the Chinese club. Transfer fee for the Brazilian midfielder is 50 million euros," Shakhtar said on its website (www.shaktar.com).

The fee outstrips the 42 million euros paid by a Chinese Super League rivals Guangzhou Evergrande to secure Colombian striker Jackson Martinez from Atletico Madrid in a bumper deal confirmed on Wednesday.

Teixeira, who was recently linked with a move to Liverpool, is Jiangsu's second major Brazilian signing in recent weeks after they secured Chelsea midfielder Ramires. Ramires, who had made just seven Premier League starts this season, cost the Chinese club about 25 million pounds ($35.8 million), the BBC reported.

Chinese clubs have been on a spending spree in claiming top players from around the world and more big signings are expected before the Chinese Super League's transfer window shuts on Feb. 26.
AS Roma striker Gervinho completed a move to Hebei China Fortune FC last week, with leading Premier League names Demba Ba and former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan also moving to China last year.

($1 = 0.8918 euros)