Ramires most expensive player in China's football history

Chelsea midfielder Ramires has agreed on a 25 million pounds ($35 million) move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, becoming the most expensive player in the country's football history, according to media reports on Thursday.

Brazilian national Ramires arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2010 from Portuguese sports club Benfica in a reported $24 million deal and had just signed a new four-year deal in October, reports Xinhua.

Over the last five-and-a-half years he made 251 appearances in all competitions, scoring 34 goals and winning every major domestic and European trophy.

The London club announced the departure of the player in a statement posted on its website on Wednesday, accompanied by a photo of the player lifting the English Premier League title, and a video of him scoring a goal at Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2011-2012 Champions League at the Camp Nou stadium.

But this season he has only been a starter in 15 games, scoring three goals.

At Jiangsu Suning, he will be coached by former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu of Romania, who has been in charge of Jiangsu since last July.

Jiangsu Suning finished ninth in the latest Chinese Super League, won by Guangzhou Evergrande.

Over the past couple of years several Brazilian international players have been snapped up by Chinese football clubs because of the country's growing passion for the sport.

Centre-back Gil has become the fifth Brazil international to sign with a Chinese club this month, accepting an offer from Shandong Luneng Club.