New rules to stem the tide of big names into Chinese footaball
China's Super League football association has signalled that it is to tighten regulations over the signing of high-profile players and add new rules for youth development in a bid to bring down transfer prices and support local players, according to the Chinese Football Association. Under the new regulations, loss-making football clubs will be required to match expenditure on player transfers with contributions to a football development fund. Chinese football clubs have recently been active in the international transfer market, snapping up players such as Argentinian star Carlos Tevez and Brazillian Oscar.
Chinese Super League bosses are set tighten rules over teams signing high-profile players and add new rules on youth development, creating potential obstacles to clubs completing mega-money deals.

Chinese clubs that are 'loss-making', now a large portion of domestic teams, must now match any expenditure on player transfers by investing the same amount into a football development fund.

The new rule, which will be introduced from this year's summer transfer window, is aimed at bringing down soaring price tags on transfers and to support local players, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said.

Carlos Tevez currently plays for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League

Oscar is another to have swapped European football to move to China on big money

Chinese football, though still far behind Europe in terms of its overall global standing, has been a major driver of the recent transfer market amid a broad push to invest in overseas clubs, sports academies and top players.

A spate of marquee signings has seen players such as Brazil's Oscar and Argentine Carlos Tevez make big-money moves to China. Others like Wayne Rooney and Diego Costa have also been linked to Chinese clubs.

Shanghai's SIPG signed Oscar from English club Chelsea in a deal said to make him the highest-paid player in the world, at a reported fee of £52million.

Former Porto and Zenit striker Hulk currently plays for Shanghai SIPG in China

The CFA said clubs, however, should 'standardise transfer behaviour and make rational investments'.

The association, who said in January clubs would be limited to fielding a maximum of three foreign players per game, said in a separate announcement that from next season the number of Chinese Under 23 players in each game should match the number of foreign players.