ESPN: Pepe closing in on Chinese Super League switch!

With Pepe's contract expiring at the end of the season and he and Real Madrid continuing to be at odds over a new deal, the centre-back is edging closer to swapping the Spanish sunshine for the riches on offer in the Chinese Super League, Marca reported.

The player is said to be demanding a two-year contract extension, while the club are willing to offer only a 12-month agreement, with an option for another year. Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini's Hebei China Fortune have offered to take Pepe's wages from €4.5 million annually to €10 million. The report suggests there is a second, unnamed club in Asia also bidding on the Portuguese's services.

Marca writes that Madrid's best hope of retaining the centre-back is for the 34-year-old to accept that a move to China might inhibit his chances of representing European champions Portugal at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.