BEIJING (Euro Sport ) - Mark Clattenburg has admitted he would consider a transfer from the Premier League to referee in China.
"China are certainly looking to develop their football, looking at their signings and their recruitment," Clattenburg said in an interview with the Associated Press. "If an opportunity came along - I am contracted to the Premier League - but I have to look at my long-term strategy of my career. How long can I last as a referee? I have been in the Premier League 12 years. It's been a wonderful 12 years.
"There is no offer on the table but if they made an offer it would be under consideration. But at the moment I still enjoy working for the Premier League and UEFA."
Chinese clubs are investing huge amounts of money in their footballing talent, with Carlos Tevez the latest to put pen to paper on a massively lucrative deal.
Clattenburg is now being linked with a move to China to help improve the standards of refereeing there, as Howard Webb has previously done in Saudi Arabia.
"Money has never been a driver as a referee...It's about the drive of doing something different, maybe helping the recruitment," Clattenburg said. "If it didn't happen now I will be looking in the future at that, a bit like Howard Webb has done (in Saudi Arabia) where you are helping another country develop refereeing.
"It's important to have the right quality of referee to go with the level of football. China is going to become a huge player in years to come...If they want to be serious about their league they are going to have to have the right setup. Refereeing is a huge part of football."