"We met a lot in England, and he spoke very highly about football in China."

Paulinho joined Evergrande last summer from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on a four-year deal worth 14 million euros. In November he helped Guangzhou win a second AFC Champions League title, together with compatriot Ricardo Goulart.

Chinese Football Association President Cai Zhenhua sees the influx of foreigners as a plus, but also expects domestic clubs to boost their investment in homegrown talent.

"Signing big names helps improve the CSL brand globally and it is a good way to attract fans and media, but the cultivation of local talent should be more of a priority for substantial progress down the road," Cai said.

Mark Dreyer, a Briton who runs the China Sports Insider website, agreed.

"If the money now coming into the Chinese game can be used by clubs to overhaul their youth academies, for example, then real benefits could be seen further down the road," said Dreyer. "But at the moment, much of that money is being paid out to foreign stars that will be gone in a few years."

The not-too-distant example of Shanghai Shenhua parting ways with star imports Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka for lack of chemistry with local players and payment disputes in 2012 remains a tough object lesson for other clubs.

Huang Bowen, Evergrande's Chinese national midfielder, said a concerted effort to gel with the homegrown roster helps foreigners assimilate - and pays dividends for the team.

"Only by bonding with us can they maximize their strength. Meanwhile, traveling, practising and playing side by side with those foreign pros helps us improve as well," said Huang.

The CSL's current semi-administrative management also needs to be revamped in order to establish a more "professional" image, according to Tan Jianxiang, a sports sociology professor at South China Normal University.

Tan said the CFA must relinquish its domineering role in the Chinese Super League Company to allow decisions made by club shareholders and professional executives to take precedence.

"As long as the league is both supervised and operated primarily by governmental officials, it won't be as professional as it is supposed to ... like the Premier League running in parallel with the FA," Tan said.

Cai said an independent body formed with club shareholders and professionals will be established to run the CSL this year.