Claudio Ranieri could earn £10m a year if he goes to Chinese Super League after shock Leicester sacking
Italian was sacked by the Premier League club and could earn a bid payday if he heads to the Far East
CLAUDIO RANIERI could bag up to £10m a year by heading to China.
The former Leicester boss is set to be top of the list of candidates for Chinese Super League clubs who enjoy a poor start to their new season, which will begin on Friday.
Tom Elsden, senior client manager at Shanghai-based marketing experts Mailman Group, said: “Now there’s absolutely no reason why Ranieri shouldn’t come out here.
“He is a realistic candidate for any CSL club that doesn’t do well in the first five to 10 games and looking to replace their manager with someone who has won at the highest level.
“Ranieri really fits that bill.
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“A lot of Chinese teams will now be looking at Ranieri with his Premier League pedigree and success in Italy and thinking: ‘If things don’t go well , we’re only a call away now.’
“He could come in as a top earner. You are looking at up to £10m a year, net of tax.”
If Ranieri were tempted by the riches of the Orient, he would join fellow former Premier League managers Manuel Pellegrini, Andre Villas-Boas, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Gustavo Poyet and Felix Magath in the CSL.
Ranieri’s Italian compatriot, Marcello Lippi, is manager of China’s national team.
He would also be familiar with a number of the overseas stars playing their trade in the CSL.
The recent signings of Oscar, Carlos Tevez and Odion Ighalo have bagged the headlines, but the likes of ex-Chelsea trio John Obi Mikel, Ramires and Ricardo Carvalho will also feature, as well as Nikica Jelavic, Paulinho, Graziano Pelle, Papiss Cisse and Obafemi Martins.
But clubs are allowed to register a maximum of five overseas players in their 30-man squads. Only three foreign stars can be on the pitch at any one time.