Sven-Goran Eriksson: Just a matter of time before Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi play in China

Eriksson currently coaches a CSL side called Shanghai SIPG, and the Swede confidently predicts that the vast wave of transfer spending by Chinese clubs this winter will only get bigger.

And as that wave of money continues to wash over Europe, Eriksson told Expressen that the world's greatest will be unable to resist the riches on offer.

"I remember the 90s in Italy. Top clubs in Italy then had more money than any other club in Europe, and it was where all wanted good football players go," he said.

"Then around 2000 there was a change, the Premier League became the world's most coveted league to play given the money and contracts.

"Now, in 2016, China seems to be taking over. Top Chinese clubs today can hold their own with the biggest clubs in Europe when it comes to the transfer fees...

"Names like Lionel Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Wayne] Rooney, yes, it will probably happen pretty soon."

Sven's words chimed with a report in December claiming that the Manchester United captain will be offered an utterly extraordinary £25 million a year to play in China, should he decide to go.

And while that report seemed far-fetched at the time, it seems that the CSL's bosses are serious in their intent to land a global superstar to put their league on the map: Yaya Toure has reportedly been offered a similar amount - equivalent to more than £500,000 a week - to move to China in the summer.

Throw in the Chinese government's commitment to backing its league, the £830 million TV deal recently signed by the division and the influx of big-money signings already making their way to China - not least Brazil's Alex Teixeira, a target for Chelsea and Liverpool in January before his £38m switch to Jiangsu Suning - and it seems that the future direction of the football market is becoming ever clearer.

As Zhang Dazhong, CEO of China's Allsports company, said a few weeks ago, "This is just merely beginning and the market is really vast and huge... I believe the target set by the Chinese government is very easy to be reached.

"The consumption power in China is huge and gigantic – the consumption of sport is about to burst in China."