China international Wu Lei says he has turned down the opportunity to further his career in Europe as he bids to win titles with Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG.
SIPG endured a frustrating campaign this season, finishing as runners-up in both the Chinese Super League and the Chinese FA Cup while also reaching the semifinals of the AFC Champions League.
That, though, has not stopped Wu from being recognised as one of the continent's leading players, with the 26-year-old nominated for the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year award for the second season in a row.
And he is determined to pick up silverware for his club side before making the move elsewhere.
"I receive offers from European clubs all the time, but the timing has not been right," Wu said. "Also, my focus right now is on helping my club to win titles in the domestic league and in the AFC Champions League. Maybe after that, I'll think about playing in Europe."
Wu missed out on the award last year to Omar Abdulrahman of the United Arab Emirates, and the Al Ain midfielder has been nominated again this year alongside Syrian striker Omar Khirbin of Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.
"This year is my second time to be nominated for the Player of the Year and it's nice to get that recognition and to be able to fight for this award," Wu said.
"Also, this year was the second time SIPG have had the chance to fight for the AFC Champions League and the result was better than last year. We qualified for the semifinals and the team's performance is getting more and more stable.
"I think all three of the nominees have our qualities and are very capable players and I really hope I can win this award."
