CHINA TOPIX

11/24/2024 07:11:26 pm

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Chinese Super League Rumors: Fiorentina's Nikola Kalinic set to Join Tianjin Quanjian for $41M

Fiorentina striker Nikola Kalinic

(Photo : Getty Images) Nikola Kalinic is set to join Tianjin Quanjian.

Fiorentina striker Nikola Kalinic is rumored to be set to join newly-promoted Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian in a $41 million move from Italy.

Kalinic, 29, is the latest European big-name to be linked to a switch to the Far East as China's winter transfer window approaches its conclusion at the end of the month. The Croatia international is said to be close to joining Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro in Tianjin in a deal worth £33 million ($41 million), according to The Sun.

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Cannavaro, a former Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid standout, took over as Quanjian's manager in June of last year, replacing Brazilian coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo after seven-straight winless performances by the club.

The former Ballon d'Or winning player has been eyeing some of the biggest goalscorers in Europe in the ongoing window, namely Leicester City's Islam Slimani, West Brom's Salomon Rondon, Brighton's Beram Kayal, Leeds United's Chris Wood, and Chelsea's Diego Costa, but all of which seemed to have fallen through so far.

His latest target is Kalinic, who has scored 14 goals in 29 games in all competitions for Viola at this point in the season. Kalinic was acquired by Fiorentina from Ukrainian Premier League club FC Dnipro in the summer of 2015 for an undisclosed fee. He then signed a four-year contract which is set to expire at the end of the 2018-2019 season.

Quanjian has offered Kalinic a weekly wage of $250,000, which would reportedly be a significant increase from his current salary in Florence. Late last month, Kalinic pledged his future with Viola saying that he is "staying at Fiorentina" and that it was his final decision, via ESPN.

He then said that he was feeling "enormous pressure" from the Italian press to accept Tianjin's offer and move out of Italy, but the club and its fans would not let him. With the latest reports, it looks like the 6-foot-2 striker is changing his mind about a potential China switch.

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