Italy striker Graziano Pelle "has cashed in on his decent performance at Euro 2016" with a move to Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng. According to reports, he is "set to become the world’s fifth highest-paid player despite a hitherto journeyman career." And China now has four of the top-10 highest-paid players in the world, according to journalist Tancredi Palmeri. The 30-year-old will reportedly earn €16M ($17.7M) after leaving EPL side Southampton. The fee was reported to be €13M ($14.4M) (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 7/12).
GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER: Indonesian Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi said that the government will take over the management of the U19 national football team for the ASEAN Football Championship (AFF) Cup in September if the Indonesian FA (PSSI) "fails to make any progress in its preparation in the next two months." Currently, PSSI "still has not selected any player or a coach" for the U19 team (JAKARTA GLOBE, 7/12).
NEW DIGS: China League One side Tianjin Quanjin and Tianjin’s Hedong Sports Bureau on Monday unveiled a joint youth football training center at Hedong Sports Centre. The new football center will team up with a Spanish football school for the "training and development" of teenage players. Quanjin Group President Shu Yuhui said, "Football is not a sport that depends on introducing top star players with a huge amount of figure to strengthen the team. I think the right approach to football development is to develop quality players through good youth training" (YUTANG SPORTS, 7/12).
