Guangzhou Evergrande's Ricardo Goulart Pereira celebrates after scoring a goal during a CSL match against Guizhou Hengfeng, on June 17, 2017 in Guiyang, Guizhou province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

RIO DE JANEIRO - Guangzhou Evergrande playmaker Ricardo Goulart could return to his native Brazil to play with Atletico Mineiro this year, according to media reports in the South American country.

Goulart is contracted with the Chinese Super League club until December 2023 but Atletico are considering an offer of around 6.5 million euros (US$7 million) to secure the 28-year-old, the Lance news portal said on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Evergrande beat Luneng for three-game winning streak

The former Brazil international, who became a naturalized Chinese citizen last July, has scored 110 goals in 155 appearances for Evergrande across all competitions since joining the club from Cruzeiro in 2015.

He returned to Brazil last year for a brief loan spell with Palmeiras, with whom he played 11 Brazilian Serie A matches and scored four goals.

READ MORE: Evergrande fails to top Chinese League table with home draw

Evergrande won their eighth Chinese Super League title in nine years in December by finishing the 2019 season just two points ahead of Beijing Guoan.