Wolfsburg are interested in signing China midfielder Zhang Xizhe from Beijing Guoan, the Bundesliga club boss Klaus Allofs confirmed.

Zhang, 23, has made a handful of appearances for China and was voted young player of 2012 by the Chinese Football Association. Beijing Guoan finished second in last season's Chinese Super League.

"He is a very interesting player and we have been observing him over an extended period of time," Allofs told the Wolfsburger Allgemeinen Zeitung newspaper.

"No decision has yet been made, but it could well be that we sign a Chinese player for the first time."

Wolfsburg are second in the Bundesliga and only four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

But Allofs insists they would not be signing Zhang to boost the profile of main sponsors Volkswagen in the lucrative Chinese market.

"That would not be fair to the players," he insisted. "Everyone who we sign must at least have the potential to be competitive in the squad."