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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barney Ronay

REVEALED: Oscar s chinese purgatory offers players cautionary tale in saudi boom era | Rare Historical Photos

Oscar has played for Shanghai Port for six years.
Oscar has now played at Chinese side Shanghai Port for six years. Illustration: Matt Johnstone/The Guardian

There was a huge boost this week for Saudi hopes of bringing Kylian Mbappé to the Pro League as news emerged that Mbappé had refused even to meet Al-Hilal officials in Paris.

Hmm. This feels like progress. Hissy fits, power struggles, a high-profile snubbing in a fancy hotel suite. It’s basically like he’s already playing for them. This is a boardroom snubbing that seems to say, hey, I could work with these guys.

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