Everton have identified quality in China worth bringing to England.

The Liverpool Echo says having run the rule over the best players the bustling city of Chengdu had to offer, Blues legend Graeme Sharp has now headed north-east to assess the talent on show in one of China's heralded ancient capitals.

He said: "I really enjoyed my time in Chengdu and, most importantly, we spotted one or two players who had that little bit of quality to stand out.

"Whether they have what it takes to make it at a higher level remains to be seen, but they made the most of the opportunity we gave them and those boys will now have a chance to impress us again at a later date."