Five International Stars You Won't Believe Now Play in China, and When to See Them in Beijing

China Super League (CSL) clubs wrapped up a world-beating spending spree in the winter transfer window, splashing out EUR 331 million, surpassing the English Premier League's EUR 253 million and outstripping the rest of the world.

The RMB 2.41 billion number also outnumbers the total transfer spending of Italy's Serie A, Germany's Bundesliga, Spain's Primera Division, and France's Ligue 1.

My, how things have changed.

In 2011, CSL's Guangzhou Evergrande spent a then-record-breaking 10 million euros to sign Dario Conca from Brazilian side Fluminense. Just five years later, the national record has been repeatedly smashed, with the current mark being Jiangsu Suning's EUR 50 million signing of Alex Teixeira, one of the most flamboyant attacking midfielders in the world.

Where did that transfer war chest come from?

If your rent has gone up recently, you may have a clue: Among the top five highest-spending clubs in the CSL, three are sponsord by real estate developers -- Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, Guangzhou Evergrande, and CSL's nouveau riche Hebei China Fortune.

Below we list the five highest-profile players you will see in the coming CSL season, along with their scheduled appearances in Beijing.

These players are truly top notch -- some football fans pay hundreds of euros to watch players of their caliber in Champions League knockout stage or World Cup matches -- so you should feel more than justified to pay the RMB 100 scalpers are demanding outside of Gongti to see them.

1. Ezequiel Lavezzi

The 30-year-old Argentine winger/forward is undoubtedly the highest profile player who will appear in season's CSL. If you know very little about football, here is one thing you want to know about him: Lavezzi started for Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final against Germany, which means you could say he is among the best football players in the world.

Before being signed by Hebei, Lavezzi was a regular starter for French side Paris Saint-Germain. He had been linked with Chelsea and Internazionale (Inter Milan) as his contract was approaching to its end, but he decided to join Hebei China Fortune on a two-year deal reported to be worth an annual EUR 23.5 million, which will make him the third-highest paid football player in the world, behind Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When to see him: May 18, 7.30 pm, ​Beijing Guoan vs. Hebei China Fortune. Gongti.

2. Gervinho

The 28-year-old Ivory Coast winger began to be known during his stint with French side Lille. He was later signed by Arsenal in 2011, and transfered to Roma in 2013. His short, fast bursts of pace makes him one of the quickest football players in the world. He was signed by Hebei China Fortune with a fee reported to be EUR 18 million in February.

When to see him: May 18, 7.30 pm, Beijing Guoan vs. Hebei China Fortune, Gongti.

3. Ramires

The 29-year-old Brazilian box-to-box midfielder remained in Chelsea's starting lineup 15 out of 23 games in the current premier league season until he was abruptly signed by Hebei China Fortune with a fee of EUR 25 million. Ramires was named to Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and featured in all seven games as they came fourth on home soil.

When to see him: May 8, 7.30 pm, Beijing Guoan vs. Jiangsu Suning. Gongti.

4. Alex Teixeira

Explosive, imaginative, flamboyant, stylish -- those are the adjectives that pop up when I think of Alex Teixeira. The 26-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder may be less known to casual fans, but he has been linked with clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, and he is the kind of player that you want to pay to watch.

He played for Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk before being signed by Jiangsu with a record-breaking EUR 50 million transfer fee. At the winter break of the 2015-16 Ukrainian Premier League season, Teixeira had scored 22 goals in 15 appearances. On November 25 last year, he scored twice in a 3-4 loss to Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League.

When to see him: May 8, 7.30 pm, Beijing Guoan vs. Jiangsu Suning. Gongti.

5. Renato Augusto

28-year-old Brazilian midfielder Renato Augusto is Guoan's biggest sign in the last transfer window, and he will replace Pablo Batalla as Guoan's midfield commander for the season to come. Augusto played for German side Bayer Leverkusen between 2008 and 2011. He maintained decent form during his stint in Germany despite of being plagued by injuries.

He started for the Brazil national team in their most recent World Cup qualification game against Uruguay on March 25 and scored, which makes him the first football player to score for the Brazil national team in an official game while playing in China.

When to see him: You can watch him play at every Guoan's home game, with the next one being Guoan vs. Guangzhou Evergrande on April 9, at 7.30 pm.

Photos: Wikipedia, Telegraph, express.com