The incumbent AFC Champions League winners and Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande have reportedly signed Atletico Madrid's Colombian striker Jackson Martinez for a record-breaking €42 million (US$46 million), the Luiz Felipe Scolari-led club said on Wednesday.

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The 29-year-old Martinez has become the most expensive player in Chinese football history, surpassing the record set by the recent transfer deal of Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires for £25 million (US$35 million) to Jiangsu Suning FC.

Also, in January, Guangzhou Evergrande allowed the transfer of the club's top scorer, former Botafogo Brazil national striker Elkeson, to their CSL rivals Shanghai SIPG for around €18.5 million (US$20 million).

The Colombian national was bought by Atletico from Portugal's Primeira Liga side FC Porto, where Martinez scored an impressive 92 goals in 133 matches, but he floundered to prove himself in Spain, having scored just two goals in his 15 La Liga appearances.

The Colchoneros finished 3^rd in the 2014-2015 season of the top professional football division of Spain.

Martinez was the top scorer of the Primeira Liga in all three of his seasons at FC Porto.  In the Colombia's top-tier Categoria Primera A, he was the top goalscorer in year 2009, with 18 goals.  Martinez also led Independiente Medellin to its fifth league title.

Martínez has played in the 2011 and 2015 Copa America and represented Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, Guangzhou Evergrande FC has released photos of the player wearing the number '9' jersey, Xinhua reported.

Jackson is the latest addition to a list of Colombian players transferring to China following Fredy Guarin (Shanghai Shenhua), Fredy Montero (Tianjin Teda) and Giovanni Moreno (Shanga Shenhua), who will participate in the first division of the Chinese league this season. 

TagsChinese Super League, Martinez, Guangzhou Evergrande