Axel Witsel started his career at Standard Luik, which he left in 2011 to join Benfica. He only spent one season at the Portuguese club before Zenit Saint Petersburg triggered his release clause and reportedly paid 40 million euros for the midfielder.
Witsel had the opportunity to join Juventus in Russia, but the transfer ultimately fell through. He explained that he was supposed to join Juventus six months earlier, but Zenit held him back because they didn't have a replacement. When Juventus made another approach, Witsel received an offer from Tianjin in China, which he couldn't refuse. "I gave in. I went to China. You have to be honest with yourself: it was impossible to turn down the contract," Witsel said.
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