In the ever-changing landscape of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Shenhua's announcement was like a pebble dropped into a lake, stirring ripples in the hearts of fans. Cao Yunding, Malele, Jin Yangyang, and Xu Yougang will not be renewing their contracts, yet many fans feel that the team's lineup is already largely in place. In just over a week, Slutsky will lead the team to Hainan for training, and there are many reasons behind this.
Looking back at the 2024 season, Shenhua was like a machine fine-tuned to peak performance, with a well-balanced lineup. The veterans were like the team's stabilizing pillars, the "Xuanming Elders" that provided reassurance; the core strength, Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Shenglong, were like two sturdy pillars holding up the sky. There were also national team players like Wang Haijian, Gao Tianyi, and Xie Pengfei, who were like agile threads weaving through, making the team's operations smoother. When faced with tough challenges, it was left to the foreign players to resolve them: Luis, Manafa, Amadou, and Teixeira, all of whom held contracts. In the world of the Chinese Super League, breaking contracts is rare, especially since Jushi took over Shenhua, there has never been such a precedent, as if an unwritten rule firmly protects the team's personnel structure.
According to international practice, the accuracy rate of foreign player selections leaked by accompanying journalists is as high as ninety percent, and once announced, it's a done deal. Currently, the rumored foreign player for Shenhua comes from Mineiro of the Brazilian second division, which may seem low-level, but since it's someone chosen by Slutsky, we'll have to wait and see if they can establish themselves in the Chinese Super League, much like an unknown adventure waiting for time to reveal the answer.
Once upon a time, the tide of gold football surged, but now it has receded. The owner of Shenhua has made it clear that the operation of football clubs must follow a rational and pragmatic path. Reflecting on the 2024 season, spending heavily to bring in Xie Pengfei from Wuhan Three Towns was not cost-effective, but Chen Jinyi's performance was like an unexpected blooming oddity, stunning everyone. The current Shenhua is operating the club with a down-to-earth attitude, so fans shouldn't expect Shenhua to go on a "buying spree" like before.
Looking ahead to 2025, the situation is clear enough, everyone needs to tighten their belts. Look at the other side of the harbor, where big names like Oscar, Balqars, and Leoditacini can't stay. Beijing Guoan, although they've hired a former Barcelona coach, he's also the shortest-lived coach in Barcelona's history, and the foreign aid situation is shrouded in mystery, without a clear picture.
For Shenhua, if they want to supplement the lineup, it might just be whether or not Fernando renews his contract, or filling gaps in certain positions, or responding to personnel departures. But overall, Shenhua's existing framework is like a completed building, with its foundation set, and it's difficult to have major changes.