Real Madrid star is subject of double-your-wages offer from China
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Real Madrid are in the midst of the best run in the club's history right now, having gone 37 games without defeat.
In that time, Zinedine Zidane's side have moved to the top of the La Liga table, progressed into the knockout stages of the Champions League and won the Club World Cup.
You might think, then, that one of their most consistent players wouldn't dare think about quitting the Santiago Bernabeu in the next few months. Not according to a report from Spanish publication Marca this week.
According to the Spanish newspaper, veteran centre-back Pepe is giving serious consideration to leaving Real when his contract expires in the summer of 2017.
That's because the 33-year-old could become the latest big name player to sign a lucrative deal with a Chinese Super League club.
Per Marca, Real's stubbornness over offering Pepe the two-year contract he is demanding means he has seen his "head turned by a duo of astronomical offers from China".
Considering the sums of money being talked about, you could perhaps see just why the 10-year Madrid veteran hasn't dismissed a China move out of hand.
"Two offers are incoming from Asia," the Marca report notes.
"With Hebei China Fortune, coached by former Real boss Manuel Pellegrini, tabling a net 10 million euros per season offer that far surpasses Pepe's 4.5m euro earnings in La Liga."
Pepe has been an integral part of Real's defence for a decade now and, despite being 35-years-old, it is unlikely that Zidane would be happy to see the defender leave the club at the end of the season.
However, contract talks have stalled in recent months and, able to negotiate with any club from January 1 as he enters the final six months of his current deal, there is an increasing belief that he could join the likes of Oscar, Hulk and Graziano Pellè on astronomical wages in China.
There is one hope for Madrid, though. Given that Pepe still plans to represent Portugal at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he might be put off by a move to China as it could leave his place in the national squad in doubt.
Then again, earning over 10 million Euros might soften that blow somewhat, especially given he already has one international title following Portugal's Euro 2016 triumph.
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