UK sending £3million of ‘aid’ to boost football in China as country bids fortunes for our top stars

MINISTERS were branded “bonkers” last night for handing £3million of taxpayers’ cash to China to develop FOOTBALL — as the country’s clubs bid fortunes for our top stars.

Chelsea star Diego Costa is being offered TEN TIMES as much — £30million a year — by a Chinese Super League club to leave London.

Brazilian star Oscar has already left for the Far East on a megabucks deal and Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly offered £87million a year.

Lib Dem MPs last night demanded the Government ask the Beijing authorities to return the money as it risked yet another row about overseas aid.

Lib Dem backbencher Greg Mulholland said: “We are the first to defend the overseas aid budget but we want this cash back.”

Ex-Chancellor George Osborne announced plans to give China £3million to develop “grassroots” football as he wooed the super-powers rulers during a business trip at the end of 2015.

He said it would help train 5,000 coaches and “significantly increase” aware ness of English football.

The money is coming from the Foreign Office – the same department behind the ‘Funding Nemo’ programme designed to find a mate for a rare breed of tropical fish.

Quizzed about the cash at the end of last week, the Foreign Office leapt to defend the project – despite the huge sums being sprayed around the world by Chinese Super League clubs.

Tory Minister Alok Sharma said the programme was in its “early stages” and it was impossible to gauge how effective it would be.

And he added: “Its impact will be evaluated during and after execution to ensure impact and value for money.

“The British Council manages the allocation of our funding for grassroots football in China, which aims to position the UK as China’s priority partner for sport.”

The row will spark fresh demands for the Government to tear up the mammoth £12billion overseas aid budget.

Yesterday a national poll revealed three-quarters of the public want the aid budget slashed to free up money for the NHS.

It is not known if the £3million for China comes out of the aid budget or is a direct investment from the Foreign Office.

But Mr Mulholland said: “Before Christmas, Oscar left Chelsea for £52million to join a Chinese team.

And Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down an eye-watering £260million move there too.

“Yet we are forking out millions to help there football.

“It’s utterly bonkers.”

He added: “China has more billionaires than anywhere in the world bar the USA.

"If they want to improve their grassroots game, they can pay for it.”