Ivorian star footballer Gervinho has left his Italian Serie A club Roma to complete a move to Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune FC.

The deal is worth a reported $19.6 million, with an additional $1m payable by the Chinese club to Roma depending on the performances of the club in the Chinese top flight.

The Cote D’Ivoire national team star has been unsettled in the Italian capital recently, and during the last transfer window period at the beginning of the season he was close to a move to Al Jazira in the Arabian Gulf League, but it did not materialise.

Former Roma coach Rudi Garcia was fired in the last few weeks, and this seems to have been the final push that Gervinho required, as he had a close relationship with the French coach, and his departure was very upsetting for the skilful Cote D’Ivoire international.

The Ivorian has been an important performer for the Giallorossi since joining from Arsenal in 2013, scoring goals and contributing assists in attack. The fans in Rome developed a soft spot for the 2015 AFCON winner, but Gervinho made the decision to leave the club in search of greener pastures in China.

His two and a half seasons at Roma provided the player with some of the best football of his career, and during that time he managed to score 17 goals in 71 Serie A matches.

Hebei China Fortune finished the League One season in second place last season, allowing the club to earn promotion to the Super League.