New Shanghai Shenhua coach Gustavo Poyet has confirmed that the club are negotiating with Boca Juniors striker Carlos Tevez for the upcoming season over a deal worth a reported €40 million per season.
Poyet told ESPN Sports Center in Argentina that "it would be a pleasure to have him for the next season."
Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus forward Tevez returned to Boca, his boyhood club in Argentina, in 2015.
Club president Wu Xiaohui has confirmed that talks are in progress and added that he would like to have Tevez "as soon as possible."
Former Real Betis and Sunderland manager Poyet is looking to add talent to his squad as he prepares to take Shanghai into next season's Chinese Super League and the Asian Champions League qualifying rounds after the club finished the campaign last month in fourth place.
"We have done a lot of work and it's safe to say that there has been a definite breakthrough in the negotiations," Wu told Shenhua News.
"But for a variety of reasons, we have not nailed down the deal. Their club have problems that are still yet to be solved and I will spare you the details.
"We will continue to put greater effort into this and strive to give our supporters a pleasant surprise as early as possible."
Poyet said he did not yet know details of the extent of negotiations.
"I know what you [reporters] know," he told ESPN. "I was asked about it and I said that there was no need to consult because it is obvious that I want to bring him here. Now it is up to them [club administration]. Nothing is confirmed as yet. It is something that will take time, but evidently the club are also interested in bringing him in and they are negotiating."
The Uruguayan said he would have preferred that the news had not leaked.
"First of all, one tries to not discuss it, but once the media finds out, the negotiations get complicated," he said. "But there are legal steps that must be followed. First one has to speak with the club and with the player because there are many people involved. I think that one could speculate, but out of respect for both Boca and Tevez, we must wait and the process must be done properly."
Tevez, 32, had admitted back in September that he had been pondering retirement after Boca Juniors were ousted from the Copa Libertadores semifinals by Independiente del Valle in the summer, but was persuaded to continue playing for the club.
"To have him here would be a pleasure," Poyet said. "Here he would find other South American players such as Colombians Fredy Guarin and Giovanni Moreno, who played for Racing. My assistant is Argentinean [Mauricio Taricco], so he would not feel alone. It would not be a complicated situation for him.
"As for the details, I do not know how the negotiation is going, nor the subject of money, but I hope it can get done."
Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici said he does not know anything about the potential offer.
The former Argentina striker joined West Ham in 2006 along with Javier Mascherano from Brazilian club Corinthians, before moving to Manchester United on a two-year loan deal after just one season.
He won back-to-back league titles and was a Champions League winner before joining crosstown rivals Manchester City where he won a third league title in the 2011-12 season. In his Premier League career, he scored a total of 84 goals in 202 games.
Tevez went on to ply his trade in Serie A with Juventus in 2013, and won consecutive league titles, and then opted to rejoin his boyhood club Boca.
Poyet also said he is interested in former Huracan striker Ramon Wanchope Abila, who is currently with Brazilian side Cruzeiro, because he feels Wanchope would pair well with Tevez -- although he admitted he is not sure whether he has reached his cap on foreign players.