Brazilian giants Flamengo have signed midfielder Dario Conca on a one-year loan from Shanghai SIPG, the club has announced.
The 33-year-old attacking midfielder will remain with Brazil's most popular club until December 2017.
Conca is currently recovering from a knee injury suffered last August, and, per the arrangement, won't be paid by Flamengo until he appears in his first game for the club, which could be as soon as March, when the club begins its Copa Libertadores campaign next season.
"Conca will only start getting paid upon his debut. It's very difficult to know when he'll make that debut, but he'll be ready for the Brazilian championship. Who knows? He could be ready in time for the Libertadores group stage," said Flamengo technical director Rodrigo Caetano.
Darío Conca é mais um reforço rubro-negro para a temporada 2017. Bem-vindo, craque! https://t.co/9JdYVO01BV #SóFaltaOMickey #ConcaRubroNegro pic.twitter.com/RKRqIP9x15
- Flamengo (@Flamengo) January 3, 2017
A star in Brazil, Conca previously spent two separate spells with Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense -- one of Flamengo's biggest rivals -- where he helped them to the 2010 Serie A title and was named the Brazilian championship's player of the year that season.
The following summer, he made a lucrative move to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande, who made him one of the highest paid players in the sport.
He then returned to Flu for the 2014 season before moving to Shanghai SIPG, which completed a £60 million deal for Chelsea's Oscar last month, the following January.
A former Argentina youth international, Conca scored six goals and provided a further five assists in 27 matches for Shanghai last season.
