The latest soccer transfer news swirling around this week is that Chelsea's Brazilian international Ramires is set to join Chinese Super League (CSL) outfit Jiangsu Suning for a fee of $35 million, a figure that will smash the league record should the move go through.

As Jonathan White wrote in these pages earlier a few days ago, the CSL usually only makes headlines around the world when another aging ­soccer star has opted to receive buckets of cash from a Chinese club, and at first glance this appears to fit that bill.

Having lost his place in the Chelsea side to Jon Obi Mikel since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho as manager last month, Ramires appears to want out at the earliest opportunity instead of fighting to get back into the lineup.

Jiangsu, flush with cash ­following their December takeover by retailing giant Suning, are clearly the driving force ­behind this move, with Ramires all too keen to take the money on offer as he approaches his twilight years.

But hang on a minute. Perhaps we're all being too cynical.

Ramires is only 28 - arguably in the prime of his career - and has played for Brazil more than 50 times. In nearly 250 appearances for Chelsea, he has scored 37 goals on the way to winning five domestic and ­European trophies. The player affectionately known as "Rambo" by Chelsea fans will forever be remembered for scoring a delightful chipped goal against Barcelona that sent Chelsea through to the UEFA Champions League final in 2012.

In short, he is some player.

But that, unfortunately, is where the cynicism begins to creep back in again.

For all the strides made by the CSL in recent years, why on earth would Ramires not instead choose to go to another leading European club at this stage in his career if he truly feels his days are now numbered at Chelsea? The obvious answer is money.

Admittedly, he's cup-tied for the remainder of this year's Champions League with Chelsea through to the round of 16 despite their atrocious league form, so perhaps this a short-term move to sample the Asian Champions League with Jiangsu before he returns to Europe in the summer. That, though, still suggests money as the primary motivator.

Players are, of course, entitled to seek employment wherever they want. But true fans will always prefer a dedicated soldier over an opportunistic mercenary - and Ramires appears to be firmly in the latter category.

The author is a Beijing-based writer. dreyermark@gmail.com