Shanghai SIPG director Mads Davidsen has dismissed the club's interest in signing Bayern Munich pair Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben as they are too old.
The wingers are regarded as among the best in Europe's history, and they managed 48 league outings between them as Bayern won their fifth consecutive Bundesliga crown.
The Chinese Super League has attracted plenty of players from across the world, but Davidsen has hit out at suggestions that the league is a place for players in the twilight of their careers. The likes of Oscar and Axel Witsel have made their moves to the Far East in a defining period in their profession, and the Shanghai chief insists that it is not a breeding ground for the veterans.
He told SportBILD: "This was the situation three or four years ago but those times are over. If Ribery had an offer two or three years ago from China then that was his chance but an ambitious Chinese team like Shanghai SIPG wouldn't sign him or Robben now.
Why should a Chinese club sign a 33- or 34-year-old when they can get 27-year-old stars like Axel Witsel or Alex Teixeira — or Oscar at 25? Ribery and Robben have missed the chance if they had wanted to play in China. We no longer want these players."
Ribery is heading into his 11th season with the Bavarian giants next term while Robben will be in his ninth. Despite their trailing age, the duo have remained regulars under Carlo Ancelotti, but it may not be long before the Italian thinks about changing things up. Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm called time on their club careers last term, and Ancelotti will seek to have the additional experience in his ranks this season before making up a final decision next summer. Both Ribery and Robben have entered the last 12 months of their respective contract, and next season could define whether they are good enough to warrant a year's extension at the least.