Sounders sell Obafemi Martins to Shanghai

Seattle Sounders striker and designated player Obafemi Martins has been sold to the Chinese Super League’s Shanghai Shenhua, according to BBC Sport.

Still, it is unusual to off-load last season’s leading scorer (a feat more notable due to his injury absences) and leave an open a DP spot so close to the beginning of the season. He scored 43 goals in 84 appearances for the Sounders who he joined in 2013.

Both Seattle Sounders and Shanghai Shenhua are yet to announce the move.

Martins’ move is another in a series of surprising departures from MLS this offseason. The sides have apparently agreed to a fee of about $3 million. The CSL’s transfer record was broken three times in a 10-day span with Brazilian midfielder Ramires moving from Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning for $28.5m on January 27, Colombian striker Jackson Martinez moving from Atletico Madrid to Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao for $47.2m on February 3, and Alex Teixeira moving from Shakhtar Donetsk to Jiangsu Suning for $56m two days later.

Obafemi Martins has in his rich career played for top clubs including Inter Milan (Italy), Newcastle United (England) and VFL Wolfsburg (Germany).

He scored 18 goals in 41 global appearances for the Super Eagles and was voted Africa’s most promising talent in 2003 and 2004.