It’s understood the 30-year-old midfielder’s $6 million switch from Brighton and Hove Albion to Shanghai SIPG had more to do with chasing trophies than financial reward after three battling seasons in the Premier League.
He tasted last-gasp survival at Huddersfield, followed by relegation the following year and then flirted with the drop again at Brighton before a late surge propelled the Seagulls to a 15th-placed finish last season.
