Due to the club's very limited funds, Changchun Yatai's performance in the league over the past two seasons has been difficult to satisfy. Last season, Yatai suffered consecutive defeats and ranked at the bottom of the table. In this situation, the club dismissed head coach Chen Yang and hired Xie Hui to replace him.
After joining, Xie Hui quickly led Yatai out of the trough, and the team eventually achieved a good result of 9th place in the league. Therefore, Xie Hui will continue to serve as the team's head coach next season.
Currently, Changchun Yatai is actively preparing for the upcoming league season. However, the team's midfield core, Brazilian attacking midfielder Serginho, has transferred to Beijing Guoan. Although Beijing Guoan has not officially announced Serginho's signing, the Brazilian midfielder has already traveled to Haikou to participate in the first winter training session with the Guoan team in 2025.
Serginho's departure will undoubtedly have a significant impact on Yatai's frontcourt attack. Therefore, the club plans to introduce new attacking players to fill the void up front. Recently, domestic media reported that Yatai will sign a forward general during the winter transfer window. He is Xie Hui's protégé from his time coaching Dalian Pro, the former Guoan striker - Huanhuan Shan.
The 25-year-old Huanhuan Shan comes from the Guoan youth training system and joined the Guoan youth team at the age of 14. Two years later, at just 16, he came off the bench in the Four Nations Tournament and scored a lightning-fast goal within a minute, helping the national youth team defeat Japan.
In the 2016 season, Huanhuan Shan entered the Guoan first team and was favored by then-head coach Zaccagni. He made his debut as a substitute in the home game against Guangzhou Evergrande and became the first "post-99" player in the CSL. In this game, Huanhuan Shan performed well, and his strong physique allowed him to carry down South Korean defender Kim Young-gwon during a dribbling breakthrough, a moment still fondly remembered by many Beijing fans.
Due to disagreements over renewal terms, Huanhuan Shan left Guoan after the 2017 season and went abroad to Portugal, joining Vitoria de Guimaraes to compete in the U19 First Division. During his time in Portugal, Huanhuan Shan scored multiple goals, demonstrating his remarkable individual ability.
Two years later, Huanhuan Shan returned to the CSL, joining Dalian Pro (formerly Dalian Yifang). However, due to injuries, Huanhuan Shan did not become an absolute starter for Dalian Pro. It wasn't until the end of the 2021 season that he scored a goal in the match between Dalian Pro and Qingdao Jonoon, earning his first CSL goal.
At the national team level, Huanhuan Shan also has extensive experience. He has been selected for various age groups of the national team and represented the national youth and Olympic teams in competitions such as the Panda Cup, Weifang Cup, and Asian U19 Championship. In the 2019 Toulon Cup, he scored twice against Bahrain, helping China achieve its first victory in the tournament since 2007.
However, Huanhuan Shan's career has not been smooth sailing. After Dalian Pro was relegated and disbanded, Huanhuan Shan did not find a new club. Now, he has gone a whole season without playing an official match. As a player in his prime, this is undoubtedly regrettable. In contrast, his peer Xu Haoyang has become an absolute starter for Shanghai Shenhua and has played four games in the top 18 for the national team.
Now, Xie Hui has invited Huanhuan Shan to join Changchun Yatai, which is a precious opportunity for the 25-year-old. Here, we also hope that Huanhuan Shan can overcome his injury problems, quickly establish himself in the team after joining Changchun Yatai, become the main center forward, and help Yatai capture cities and seize fortresses on the front line. Through outstanding performances in the league, he can return to the national team and help the national football team out of the trough, making a full effort to launch an assault on the World Cup.