Kalinic turns down lucrative Chinese offer to stay at Fiorentina

The riches of the Chinese Super League successfully lured several star players over the January transfer window, but Nikola Kalinic did not bite.

The prolific Fiorentina poacher told Croatian media Friday he will remain in Tuscany despite reports Tianjin Quanjian offered the 29-year-old a contract worth €10 million a season for the next four years.

"Everyone was pushing me towards China but Fiorentina weren't and nor were their fans," Kalinic said, according to the club's website. "I'm staying in Florence."

La Viola confirmed it never entered negotiations with the Chinese outfit, although La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia believe a €38-million bid was on the table.

In the end, however, Fiorentina did not receive a proposal that met Kalinic's €50-million release clause.

"Fiorentina would like to place on record that the club never entered into negotiations for the sale of Kalinic because we consider him to be a key player," the statement read. "A high release clause was set precisely to discourage potential buyers."

Kalinic, a Blackburn Rovers flop who blossomed in Ukraine before earning plaudits in Serie A, leads Fiorentina with 13 goals across all competitions this season.

His strike against Juventus last weekend contributed to a 2-1 win over the five-time defending champion - a result that blew wide open the domestic title race.

Replacing Kalinic would have been tough to do. Italian media suggested Fiorentina could have made a move for Napoli's Manolo Gabbiadini or Bologna's Mattia Destro, but the stress of signing a stand-in striker with just under two weeks remaining in the transfer window is now gone.

The Croatian admitted he considered the terms from China, but added, "I never expressed a desire to leave."

He said his decision is final.

Players who did accept lucrative terms to join the Chinese Super League include Oscar, Carlos Tevez, Axel Witsel, and Mikel John Obi.