Wu Lei debut watched by over 40 million in China

27 year-old Chinese football star Wu Lei’s €2m ($203m) move to Espanyol in LaLiga went largely unnoticed in Europe as the January transfer window closed.  Wu Lei previously featured for Shanghai SIPG.

But the new signing is a hit in China, a nation where LaLiga has focused much marketing effort. An estimated 40 million viewers in his homeland tuned in for Espanyol’s 2-2 draw at Villarreal according to The Independent. Lei featured for the final 12 minutes of the match.

We Lei won the Golden Boot in the most recent Chinese Super League season and his move to Spain might give LaLiga a leg up on targeting the potential audience of 350 million viewers in China.