IF you already thought that the world of football finances was a place for people with far more money than sense, then prepare yourself for another shock.

We are entering the Year of The Great Chinese Takeaway.

As the transfer window opens to reveal a treasure chest of Shanghai riches, Premier League owners will be rushing towards the panic buttons; players’ agents will swarm all over them like wasps around the pot of jam; and Carlos Tevez can rub his hands at the thought of picking up £600,000 a week just for showing his face in the People’s Republic of 1.4 billion others.

The man from Fort Apache, Argentina, quit his home club of Boca Juniors for a team nobody has heard of – or if they have, they can’t pronounce it – to spend the twilight years of his career posing for selfies.

Chelsea’s Oscar has already signed up and Diego Costa has been tapped up. Does Wayne Rooney hang around at Old Trafford on the off-chance that Jose Mourinho might get to like him, or does he also take the road east?

For years, the Premier League has plundered the less wealthy nations to pick off the cream, but now the golden boot is on the other foot. Roman Abramovic’s billions are about to be trumped by Chinese trillions.

There was a short film on TV over the holiday which attempted to let us know how serious the Chinese are in their attempt to break into the big wide world of football.

It showed young children –some of them only just old enough to walk – going through their dribbling skills (and I don’t mean down their bibs!).

But they are for the future. A country that can build a giant telescope in a week, a nuclear energy plant in not much longer, does not intend to hang around and wait.

It is now open house at the agents’ paradise.

ONE sport that should be looking on 2017 as the year to smarten up its image is boxing.

I wondered a couple of weeks ago whether we are still expected to take professional boxing seriously. The question still stands.

But its case for worldwide approval is not helped when one of its top writers, Steve Bunce, describes 2016 as a mixture of glorious and ridiculous.

He makes the point that there are 17 recognised weight categories in world boxing and Britain holds 13 of the championships at 11 weights.

That’s the glorious bit done with, but don’t be fooled by such figures. Steve Bunce isn’t.

He adds: All 13 are good fighters, but all have benefited from a bloated business where boxers with slim qualities are selected as world title challengers.

Some have fought for world titles without even proving they are the best in Britain.

That’s the ridiculous bit… let’s hope the Chinese don’t get to know about it.

You know what they are like when they take a shine to a sport. On second thoughts, perhaps it would be no bad thing.

DID you see the Giroud goal for Arsenal against Crystal Palace?

Described by Arsene Wenger as a Work of Art; good, but lucky by Graeme Souness; brilliant skill and goal of the season so far by Jamie Carragher.

The Frenchman himself suggested there was a certain amount of luck in involved (just like the similar scorpion kick by Manchester United’s Mkhitaryan against Sunderland), but the general opinion was that it was something to behold.

Except in the eyes of Jamie Redknapp, it was nothing special. It was not in his top 20. Perhaps Jamie’s been watching too much Strictly Come Dancing.

BARROW AFC are having their best season since hula-hoops and marbles were all the rage, so a 4-1 defeat at Gateshead was not the way Paul Cox would have liked to see off 2016.

But perhaps it’s for the best. Far better that their record run came to an end (it had to go sometime) ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup tie against Rochdale.

What better time to start on another winning run than in front of a full house at Holker Street?

Here’s hoping.

PETER WILSON