With all the headlines of famous players moving to the Chinese Super League, the departure of a South American star in the opposite direction was lost a little, but Dario Conca's time in China stands out.
If new arrivals like Carlos Tevez, Oscar or anyone else is able to command the influence and acclaim that Conca gathered during his time in China, then their reported wages will not be looking quite so astronomical. There may have been a few issues off the field, and run-ins with coaches and club, but those only served to highlight how good he was on it on it.
When he moved to Guangzhou Evergrande in 2011, most attention focused on how the playmaker who had never represented his country at senior level had become the third-highest paid player in the world. It was a hint that something was happening in China, but there was little follow up to see how he actually did.
He did very well, indeed. Conca spent almost five seasons in the fast-growing Chinese Super League. Two and a half came with Guangzhou where he quickly became known as "The King of Tianhe Stadium," the home arena which saw him celebrate three league title wins and the AFC Champions League.
Two more came with Shanghai SIPG after a year-long sabbatical to South America that was not as successful trophy-wise, but the performances were there. In total, there were 71 goals in 157 games for the two clubs, and over 50 assists.
As impressive as such stats are, his influence ran wide. It helped that he had world-class technique to match a rare vision. His ability to make a killer pass, find space or get the crucial goal were unmatched in China, and uncommon elsewhere. Strikers such as Muriqui, Gao Lin and Elkeson all feasted on Conca-provided fare.
When he was signed by Lee Jang-Soo in 2011, the South Korean coach said that the new man would change games, and help teammates play better. This is what happened as he dragged the leading team in China up to a new level. The first season ended with the league title.
Lee, however, never really got to grips with the Argentine, substituting him on a number of occasions, drawing a sharp response from the player in 2012. Conca's criticisms earned him a nine-game ban from the club. It looked as if is stay in China was going to be a short and stormy.
But it was Lee who left. Ironically, Conca scored the final goal in the coach's tenure, a last-minute strike that ensured the team progressed from the group stage to the knockout round of the AFC Champions League in a debut continental campaign. Marcello Lippi arrived in May 2012.
Fans loved Lee, but they also loved Conca. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, he was still producing the goods where it mattered. Still, the club were unhappy with his behavior at the end of the 2012 season.
"Frankly, my view on Conca is: he's brilliant on the field, but difficult off it," club president Liu Yongzhou told Soccer News.
"We can all see his performances, he is an exceptional player. Off the pitch, to put it nicely, there is not enough professionalism."
The club accused the player of trying to return to Fluminense for a fraction of a price that had been paid in 2011.
Despite all the issues in 2012, Conca still managed 17 goals, and grabbed plenty of assists, including the one for the title-clinching goal. He was in the running to be player of the year.
He took that prize in 2013. Lippi gave Conca more freedom to play than before and was rewarded as the playmaker led Guangzhou to the AFC Champions League -- the first Chinese club to win the tournament.
"I have worked with players like [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Zinedine] Zidane and [Francesco] Totti and, for me, Conca is as brilliant as they are," Lippi said.
Just after guiding the team to the ACL title, Conca announced he was heading back to South America, and Fluminense. Guangzhou fans were sad to see him go, and sadder at the start of 2015 when he signed for Shanghai SIPG.
Under Sven Goran-Eriksson, he won over a new set of fans. His first season haul of nine goals and eight assists helped the team to a best-ever second spot, pushing Guangzhou all the way in an exciting title race.
The form continued into 2016. In May he was given a two year-contract extension that would have kept him at the club until the end of 2018.
Shanghai SIPG general manager Sui Guoyang said at the time that the South American was the soul of the team, and their most important player. It all ended with serious injury in August that meant he played no part in the ACL quarterfinals.
With him taking up a valuable foreign-player spot, it was felt that a year-long loan to Flamengo in Brazil was the best way forward for both player and club. Already 33, it could well be that he will never return for a final season in Shanghai.
There is now a new South American star midfielder in town, but Dario Conca leaves Oscar with big shoes to fill.