Jiangsu Suning's Alex Teixeira says he has held regular discussions with Bayern Munich forward and former Shakhtar Donetsk teammate Douglas Costa about life and football in China.
The two Brazilians became firm friends with Shakhtar in Ukraine and, with Costa reportedly unsettled in Germany, it is not out of the question that they could reunite in the Chinese Super League.
Teixeira left Shakhtar in February 2016 to join Jiangsu for €50 million, six months after Costa headed west to Munich.
"I am close to Costa and we talk often," Teixeria told Korean media when asked whether his former teammate is curious about his move east. "We discuss the lifestyle in China and whether the investment in the Chinese Super League has helped the development of Chinese football."
Teixeira was linked to Liverpool before heading to China and still harbours a desire to return to Europe.
"I want to play in the UEFA Champions League and the English Premier League but first I want to win the Asian Champions League with Jiangsu," he said.
There is a chance of that happening in 2017 with the team's continental challenge progressing well. Last week, Jiangsu defeated Gamba Osaka of Japan to record a fourth successive Group H win and become the first of the 32 teams in the group stage to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Domestically, however, last season's Chinese Super League runners-up are languishing near the bottom of the table with just two points from their first five games.
"We have dropped too many points," said Teixeira, who was suspended for three matches after being sent off in the opening game of the season. "I have been worrying about where we are lacking. We are not doing as well as we should be."
