SHANGHAI SIPG on Wednesday confirmed the signing of former Real Madrid and Chelsea player Ricardo Carvalho, Xinhua news agency said, making him the latest foreigner to be tempted by the riches of the Chinese Super League.

    Carvalho’s signing had been finalized by the end of winter training in Doha, but the announcement was delayed as China’s new restrictions on foreign players forced the team to “think carefully” about his role, Xinhua cited SIPG as saying.

    Last month, the Chinese Football Association announced it would cut foreign player numbers in top-flight teams to curb massive spending on overseas talent.

    The new rules will permit teams to field no more than three foreigners in a match when the new 2017 season begins in March.

    This will put a squeeze on the game time for SIPG’s stable of talent, which already includes four foreign players: Brazilian powerhouses Oscar, Hulk, and Elkeson, as well as Uzbek midfielder Odil Ahmedov.

    “If any of (the) other four foreign players was injured, Carvalho will get a chance. As one of the top defenders in the world, his experience is important to help young players,” SIPG president Chen Xuyuan told Xinhua.

    Carvalho, 38, comes to SIPG from French Ligue 1 team Monaco. He has scored 5 goals for the Portuguese national team in 89 appearances and won the European Championship last year.(SD-Agencies)