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Las Palmas sell winger Jonathan Viera to Beijing Guoan

Las Palmas have sold Spanish winger Jonathan Viera to Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan, the La Liga club announced on Monday afternoon.

Viera, who made his senior Spain debut in October, played for Las Palmas on Saturday in his 115th game since returning to the club for a second stint from Standard Liege in 2015.

A Las Palmas statement said: "UD Las Palmas and Chinese side Beijing Guoan have reached an agreement for the immediate transfer of Jonathan Viera's rights. The player is undergoing a medical in Lisbon.

"Despite [Las Palmas] not facilitating his departure, the agreement fulfills our negotiating expectations. The contract has a confidentiality clause relating to the financial terms."

Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramirez said they did not prefer to sell the 28-year-old, who was a youth product of the club and had made 60 appearances for the team before being sold to Valencia in May 2012.

However, Viera was keen to leave because the offer was too good to turn down.

"The solution would have been for Beijing to take him this summer but they didn't accept," Ramirez said in Monday's news conference. "That meant we had to find a way for all of us to come out with the least damage possible.

"We cannot compete with those figures. Once he signs the contract he will get €7 million net [salary] and what we cannot do is to ruin the life of one of ours. The player had been followed for a year and a half and we've held on for as long as we could."

La Provincia reported last week that Las Palmas had accepted a €25m bid for Viera, who was tied to the Canary Islands-based club until June 2021 and had a €30m release clause.

"The financial transfer is what UD Las Palmas wanted," Ramirez said without revealing the exact figures. "Besides, we have managed to obtain 30 percent of a future sale."

Las Palmas' statement also said they could receive bonuses in the event that Beijing Guoan win the Super League or other international competitions.

Las Palmas are in the relegation zone, 18th in La Liga and two points adrift of Levante, who are 17th and hold the last position of safety.

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