Beijing Guoan's honorary chairman Luo Ning revealed the Chinese Super League powerhouses made an offer for Wayne Rooney but the Manchester United captain wanted to remain in the Premier League.
A move away from Old Trafford has been reported, with Rooney no longer an automatic starter at United.
The CSL and MLS have emerged as possible destinations for the 31-year-old England skipper, who has scored just one goal in 10 Premier League appearances this season.
And Beijing Guoan - who have Brazil international Renato Augusto and Turkey striker Burak Yilmaz in their ranks - said they tried to tempt Rooney to China.
"We indeed made an approach for Rooney at the beginning of the season but he's informed us that he wants to stay in Manchester United," Luo said in an interview on Beijing sports broadcasting program Sports Night Talks.
"Rooney says he'll keep playing in the Premier League as long as his health allows.
"We even met with his agent [Paul Stratford]."
Rooney has previously been linked with fellow CSL outfit Shanghai SIPG, where former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was in charge until he was sacked and replaced by Andre-Villas Boas last week.
‘He’ll still be playing at 40 at a good level because he’s in such good shape and looks after himself so well. He does everything to be a top professional’: Ex-Liverpool coach insists Mohamed Salah has plenty more miles in the tank
‘Chelsea have to qualify for the Champions League for this season to be a success – they showed that they have the players to perform at a high level, they need a win quickly now’ Blues legend’s fears over recent bad run
