Obafemi Martins outrageously lucrative contract extension in China that will net him $9m

Obafemi Martins' move to China hasn't always been smooth, but it has been undeniably lucrative and it's about to get even more so.

The former Seattle Sounders forward has reportedly signed a contract extension that will keep him at Shanghai Shenhua through 2017 and net him about $9 million. If Martins were still playing in MLS he'd need to be paid about $12-15 million in order to net that much, almost double what the highest paid players in the league get. It's enough to put him safely in the Top 10 among the top paid players in the English Premier League.

Martins joined Shanghai Shenhua last February and was due to make about $6.6 million  on a nine-month deal. But he got off to a slow start, going scoreless in his first seven appearances and having just one goal through 11 matches while mostly coming off the bench.

After a season-ending injury to Demba Ba, however, Martins was suddenly starting and scoring. In the 11 games since Ba's injury, he has scored six of his nine goals, and has helped Shanghai go 6-1-5 in CSL play to move to fourth in the table.