Chinese sensation Wu Lei became the first player from the Asian nation to score a La Liga goal when he put Espanyol 3-1 up against Real Valladolid on Saturday.
The 27-year-old striker scored 27 goals in 29 games last season to cement him as the biggest star in the Chinese Super League, but finally broke his duck in Spain after a €2m January move from Shanghai SIPG.
Trading Shanghai for Barcelona’s second club was always going to be a difficult decision, especially after 12 years of growth, success and then adulation in China’s biggest city, but Chen Yansheng, Espanyol’s billionaire owner, would not take no for an answer when he called during the AFC Asian Cup.
Wu Lei was convinced to swap SIPG for Spain in a move designed to boost the popularity of Espanyol in Asia. His debut, a substitute appearance that lasted just 12 minutes against Villarreal, drew 40 million viewers from China – according to unverified figures published by the club.
Further data published by the club claims Wu Lei’s presentation as an Espanyol player had an online reach of some 350 million, unlocking the potential for a superstar if their figures are correct and he can keep scoring goals.
The reigning golden boot winner and player of the year in the Chinese Super League appears to be under no illusions that the step up to La Liga is significant, given his public comments since signing.
But he now has his first La Liga goal and a landmark one for Chinese football. What comes next will define how historic a move his switch to Spain will be remembered as.
