The Guangzhou Evergrande issued a statement this Wednesday vehemently denying the latest rumors that claimed that the Chinese club was interested in high-profile players such as Gareth Bale, Radja Nainggolan, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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"With the deepening of Chinese football reform in recent years, local leagues have made great progress and enjoy packed stadiums. Starting from 2017, we adhere to the principle that the club will only buy foreign players whose status is compatible with the current level of Chinese football," the statement began.
"We firmly oppose the purchase of foreign players at a prohibitively high price. Instead, the development of players from the youth academy will occupy a prominent place on our list of priorities. We will be firmly committed to our Evergrande Football School project which will witness how player after player reaches the first team," the statement continued.
"Gradually, we will achieve the goal of fielding a team with only Chinese players by the year 2020 to contribute to the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of Chinese football," it concluded.