The spending of some of the rich league's has encouraged the country's governing body to step in to help ensure "long-term stable development"
Teams in the cash-rich Chinese Super League will only be able to name three of their foreign stars in starting XIs this season after the Chinese Football Association confirmed an amendment to its competition rules – prompted in part by "recent irrational club investment for domestic and international player transfer fees".
In line with multiple reports that emerged on Sunday, CSL teams will be allowed to select five overseas players in their matchday squad of 18 but cannot have more than three on the field at any given time from the 2017 season onwards.