Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian have identified three ‘world-class’ players to try to sign this summer after failed bids for a string of European stars.
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Tianjin, who gained promotion to the CSL in 2016, launched audacious bids to sign Diego Costa, Karim Benzema and Edison Cavani in January, but missed out on all three.
However, they remain undeterred in their efforts to bring more foreign stars to the league, and club chairman Shu Yuhui has outlined a number of potential recruits.
“As far as I’m concerned, our club looks certain to buy a powerful foreign striker and a quality homegrown defender,” Yuhui told the Tianjin Today Evening News.
“The recruitment of the Chinese defender is a done deal, but right now we cannot reveal his identity in accordance with the relevant provisions.
“As for the foreign imports, three stars have been nailed down by our club and we will choose to buy one.
“The club’s representatives are working on the deal. And I will absolutely honour my promise to the fans that the new striker will be, without a doubt, a world-class player.”
Fabio Cannavaro’s side have had a positive start to their first season in China’s top flight, sitting in ninth, having lost just one of their opening seven matches.
They have, though, drawn their last three against Shanghai SIPG, Beijing Guoan and Jiangsu Suning, and Yuhui has been lamenting the fact his side have not picked up wins.
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He added: “As a promoted team, it’s rather difficult to get results against those CSL heavyweights, but we expected more.
“What if we have a powerful foreign striker? We could have won all of the three games.”
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