BERLIN, Dec. 15 -- Klaus Allofs, general manager of German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, said on Sunday that the German club are willing to develop young talents, including Chinese star Zhang Xizhe, who has just signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club.

Zhang, a former Chinese super league club Beijing Guoan's player, has become only the fourth Chinese to play in the German Bundesliga, but Allofs said it's not an experiment.

"I would not call it an experiment, it is more a careful approach. We can turn to past experience when signing players from South America. You have a good idea that things will work out as both sides have experience with such a transfer," said Allofs.

"With a player from China it is different and not easy to predict. For instance what does it mean, when a player has played a good role in the Chinese league and in his national team and then moves to the Bundesliga? You have to overcome the language barrier, get used to the new culture and the new type of football on a new level.

"But we intend to do everything to make it all work out as it is part of our philosophy not only to work with stars, but also with talented youngsters - Zhang Xizhe is now one of them.

"We have been looking closely at Chinese football for quite a while now. In his case we have done some intense scouting, our scouts have seen several of his games and we talked with him to get to know his personality better," added Allofs.

Allofs thought the 23-year-old attacking midfielder, who played since 2009 for Beijing Guoan to score 24 goals in 121 appearances, will have a good partnership with team coach Dieter Hecking.

"Zhang Xizhe knows quite a lot already about Dieter Hecking and Wolfsburg. For all others: Dieter Hecking is a man full of passion for football. He eats, sleeps and drinks football. He has an outstanding ability to develop a team tactically and has a great feeling as to how to deal with players."

Allofs, a former Bundesliga top scorer, said he's not quite familiar with Chinese soccer, but he believed that China's football is developing and has great potential as the country has in various sports.

"In January for instance we had a friendly against Qingdao Zhongneng. We won the game, but it was far from easy. Maybe that team would not yet be able to compete in the German Bundesliga, but for sure in the second division. And physically, it was a tough game and technically on a high level. I can tell you it sometimes hurt as they were very tenacious. Therefore there is no amateur football in the top Chinese division. If a player plays in China's top division and the national team, then he has to be a class act. But, how far will we go with Zhang Xizhe, we'll have to wait and see."

The "Wolves" now sit on the second place of the Bundesliga table, nine points adrift of front-runners Bayern Munich, but Allofs said Wolfsburg and other German teams are not in a "hunting game" against Bayern Munich.

"The title of 'Bayern hunter' is a little misleading. I think we - and many others - are not at the stage to be a true rival for a club like Bayern Munich. To remind you: Two years ago we were in danger of being relegated. Last year we managed to change many things - first of all we have to stabilize and not talk about future goals which are not realistic at the moment. Bayern is far above the rest of the Bundesliga and it will be hard to catch them. But for now I can say we are on a good path - together with other clubs in the Bundesliga - but I don't see anyone who is ready to take on Bayern. But you can say we are among the clubs that are on the right track."

"At present we're in the Europa League and are currently second in the Bundesliga. For us it is a step for step process that will end in us qualifying for the Champions League. What we want first of all is to have constant success."