Javier finds his Fortune

Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune has signed Argentine utility player Javier Mascherano to a multiyear contract worth 5.5 million euros (about $6.7 million), the club announced on Wednesday.

Mascherano, who just ended a seven-year stint with Spanish league giant Barcelona, will join his former national teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi, a veteran striker acquired by China Fortune last February, in a competitive squad managed by Chilean former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

"The arrival of Mascherano will significantly enhance our roster defensively, and we expect greater chemistry to be built between him and Lavezzi to give the team a competitive edge," the club said in a statement on its website.