CHINESE soccer clubs have been making headlines with stratospheric salary offers for big-name foreign stars, yet local outfit Shanghai SIPG has kept a relatively low profile in the transfer market.

SIPG head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is remarkably confident in his existing squad, which finished second overall in the Chinese Super League last season, even as rival clubs shelled out mind-boggling sums to attract luminaries from across Europe, Africa and South America. In fact, the only pre-season arrival for SIPG has been China-based Brazilian striker Elkeson from defending champion Guangzhou Evergrande.

“Elkeson made us offensively stronger,” Eriksson told Shanghai Daily before a workout at the club’s training center in Qingpu District. “He has shown what he can do in China as he has always been one of the top goal scorers. We hope he can do the same for us. Though we bought only one player, I’m happy with the team I have.”

The 26-year-old Brazilian was the league’s top scorer in 2013 and 2014. For Evergrande, he scored a total of 77 goals in three years. Eriksson said Elkeson was at the top of SIPG’s wish list. Adding him to the team reportedly cost SIPG 18.5 million euros (US$19.63 million). The deal also carried an additional clause that bars Elkeson from playing against Guangzhou.

The Brazilian showed his class almost immediately ­— scoring three goals for SIPG in the Asian Champions League. For now, he’s partnered with Asamoah Gyan of Ghana up front as Eriksson tests the 4-4-2 format that proved so effective against Gamba Osaka. Meanwhile, Argentinian Daria Conca, a key player in SIPG’s run to second place last year, is emerging as a key support player from the back and midfield.

Asked if he would look for new signings during the June-July summer transfer market, Eriksson played it safe.

“Hopefully we will not need (to). But it all depends on what kind of results we get now.”

SIPG has five domestic players in the Chinese national team ­— second only to Evergrande, which has six players turning up in the national colors.

“As for the Chinese players, we trust the players we have. Some of the young players are not yet in the first team. But they shall be good enough soon,” said Eriksson. “But also, it’s very difficult to get top level Chinese players. They are all in big clubs and I don’t think it’s about money anymore, because the clubs just refuse to sell them. They are more difficult to have than finding a good foreign player.

“Every club wants to produce their own players, that’s their dream, because it is very expensive to buy good domestic players nowadays and it will not be cheaper in the future.”

Eriksson also denied British media reports that SIPG had made an offer to Manchester United for striker Wayne Rooney.

“That is not true. We never put in a bid for Rooney and I’m quite sure that next season he will still play for Manchester United. He is a national team player on contract, and I don’t see a reason why United would want to sell him.”

But who would Eriksson bring in if money were not an issue?

“I would take Messi,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s not even thinkable. It is impossible. He is the No. 1 in the world.”

When asked to comment on this season’s big-ticket transfers, the Swede said, “If you pay that kind of money, those players have to make a difference to their teams, and they will. (Jiangsu Suning’s) Alex Teixeira, I’ve known him since many years ago. I know (Hebei China Fortune’s) Gervinho from the Ivory Coast national team, too, when I was coaching them in 2010.”

Teixeira cost Suning a record 50 million euros. Gervinho moved from Rome to the newly promoted CSL side on an 18-million-euro deal, and scored on his debut in Hebei’s 2-1 victory over Eriksson’s former side Guangzhou R&F.

Eriksson said it’s rare for clubs to double or triple the market value of their players, as has happened recently in China, but he insists the current trend is good for the country’s football scene.

“That’s how we make the league competitive — by bringing in more stars. Suddenly, (all of) Europe, and even the world, is wondering ‘wow, what’s happening in China?’ which is good. I have been receiving an increasing amount of interview requests from British and Swedish media about China and its football.

“At the top, the country is doing well in promoting football ever since President Xi Jinping pushed for its development. And at the bottom, they did a lot in terms of establishing football schools, academies, and so on.”

Erikson also made a brave prediction that China could win the World Cup in another 10 to 15 years.

“I’m quite sure about that,” said the Swede. “If you talk about the Olympic Games, China is No. 1 or 2 in the number of medals they take. So why not football?

“The way Chinese football has been working is the right way. You have to start from the grass-roots level and let as many children as possible come to play football, and that will make a huge difference. It will not change in one day, but when young children start playing, imagine how many talents you will have in another seven or eight years.”

For SIPG, the real task now is to discover and bring in talent for its youth team.

“The goal of the club is to ensure that SIPG always makes it to the Asian Champions League, is competitive in China and fights for titles. It’s a good target, and that’s what we are working on. And then, sooner or later, we will hopefully win something.”

SIPG came close to winning the title last year in its third CSL season. It was leading the table before losing 0-3 to Evergrande in the 25th round. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team then took the lead and went on to win the title.

“If we had taken at least one point or won (the match against Evergrande), then probably we could have won the league. I still think that Evergrande is the best team. They are the favorite and the team to beat.

“Last season we had a lot of injury problems, especially central defenders. This season looks better. The players know each other and me better. We know what we want to do.”

SIPG was only able to muster one point in the opening two matches of the 2016 CSL season. On its Asian debut, SIPG picked up two wins from three matches to sit on top of Group G with six points.

“The next two ACL games in Japan and Korea will be crucial. If we can take some points from there, then we have a very good chance (to advance from the group stage). Of course, we want to go as far as possible. But it’s a strong group and all the teams can win, lose or draw with each other. So let’s see.”

Eriksson said the club’s goal for the 2016 CSL season is same as last year — a top-three finish so as to secure a spot in the Asian Champions League.

“Hopefully No. 1. But this year’s league will be a very difficult one. The quality of the league is much higher than two or three years ago when I first came to China … It is a very competitive league.”

This is Eriksson’s third year in China, and he considers himself lucky to coach such an “ambitious” team at a time when Chinese football is improving by leaps and bounds.

“SIPG is a club which is saying publicly that it wants to become a big club in China and Asia. The ambition in this club seems to be greater (than my former club Guangzhou R&F). That’s also one of the reasons why I came here. Since I’ve been here, the club has showed that they want to do this.”

CSL is currently on a two-week break for the national team’s World Cup Asian qualifiers. When play resumes, SIPG will take on Chongqing Lifan in the domestic league, followed by a game against Gamba Osaka in Japan in an Asian tie.