After a host of flashy stars migrated to China over the winter for astronomical transfer frees, the Chinese Super League is geared up for its first year in the spotlight. Turkish football fans will also be expected to show interest in this far-flung country after Burak Yılmaz and Ersan Gülüm, formerly of Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, were transferred to Chinese clubs. Chinese football side Beijing Guo'an last month signed Yılmaz from Turkish club Galatasaray. The fee for the transfer was reported to be 8 million euros according to Xinhua. Yılmaz, 31, had earlier played for Turkish clubs Besiktas, Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor. He moved to Galatasaray in 2012. Before Yılmaz, another Turkish footballer Gülüm was signed by newly promoted Chinese Super League team Hebei China Fortune for a transfer fee of 7 million euros. Also, Beşiktaş sold their Senegalese star Demba Ba to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

Alex Teixeira and Jackson Martinez, signed under the noses of English giants Liverpool and Chelsea, headline what has become Asia's most glittering league after a 331 million euros splurge on players. Ramires, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Gervinho are also among the highly paid players who will get their first taste of the CSL after being lured from Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma respectively.

Whether the sudden mass investment will translate into quality on the pitch is unclear, but transfers that smashed the Asian record four times and outstripped the English Premier League have created an undeniable buzz.

"Everyone in China is talking about the league, work-mates, friends, even old people on the street," said 33-year-old Shanghai SIPG fan Ma Zheng.

"There's a feeling that Chinese football is going to be worth watching again this year after many years of it being looked down upon by Chinese," he said.

A Chinese league bursting with money and glamour is a far cry from the widespread corruption of just a few years ago, before a major crackdown ensnared dozens of officials, referees and players. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical were kicked out of the CSL in the fall-out - only to bounce back a year later and, rebranded as Guangzhou Evergrande, finish as champions for the next five seasons. But in a sign that suspicions remain, the official gambling operator in neighboring Hong Kong has barred bets on the CSL, citing fears over "transparency, integrity and competitiveness".

Tycoon club-owners have been encouraged to spend big on players by the authorities headed by football-loving President Xi Jinping, who have ambitions to host and even win a World Cup.

The political pressure has yielded purchases like Martinez, who was expected to leave Atletico Madrid for Chelsea but instead joined Evergrande for 42 million euros.

The move broke the Asian transfer record, which was raised again just days later when Jiangsu Suning snapped up Liverpool-linked Teixeira for 50 million euros from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Other notable imports include Gervinho to Hebei China Fortune for 18 million euros, and Colombian international Freddy Guarin to Shanghai Shenhua from Inter Milan for 11 million euros.