Beijing Guoan has arranged a friendly match with Dalian Yingbo on January 17th. The two teams have a good relationship, and last season He Xiaqiang was loaned to Dalian Yingbo, achieving a win-win situation for both sides. However, seven national team players from Beijing Guoan will still be in training with the national team on the 17th, so the team will be playing with an incomplete squad. The third phase of winter training will see Beijing Guoan travel to Thailand for final preparations. Chengdu Rongcheng and Beijing Guoan are both very ambitious for the new season and are leading the way in terms of player acquisitions in the Chinese Super League.
Beijing Guoan has retained three foreign players: Gouja, Abreu, and Engadu. They have not been quick to replace them, as the first two have already returned and can participate in the team's winter training on time. Engadu, however, will delay his return due to personal matters. These three players have proven their abilities and are among the top foreign players in the Chinese Super League. The first challenge for new head coach Setien will be that seven national team players, including Zhang Yuning and Lin Liangming, will leave for national team training on January 9th. The domestic core players will only be able to train under Setien for four days before returning to the team on January 19th.
Shanghai Port's two foreign players, Oscar and Bargas, will not renew their contracts, which is a relief for their city rivals Shanghai Shenhua. This season, they have a chance to compete for the championship after being overshadowed by their opponents for the entire previous year. Shanghai Shenhua has not made many moves in the domestic transfer market, as they have enough local players and do not need to further strengthen their lineup. They plan to maintain their current roster and fully utilize the strengths of their players. The future of two players with limited opportunities, Xie Pengfei and Dai Weijun, remains uncertain.
The national team has announced a new training squad list, with six Shanghai Shenhua players selected, including Fernandinho. Bao Yaxiong was once again left out, but this does not affect his position as a key player for Shanghai Shenhua. Reserve goalkeeper Ma Zhen, dissatisfied with being second choice, has appeared at the training ground in Yunnan Yulong and hopes to join on loan for the new season. Last season, he only played four times but was once selected for the national team. According to journalist Gan Hui, Xue Qinghao is likely to return to Shanghai Shenhua. This means he will be recalled to fill the void left by Ma Zhen.
Xue Qinghao's loan contract with Nantong Zhiyun has expired. Last season, he started all 23 games for the relegated team. Although he does not have the ability to be a regular starter, being a backup for Bao Yaxiong is also a good option. Shanghai Shenhua will continue to compete on three fronts, and the reserve goalkeeper cannot afford to slack off. Rumored foreign player Minero has previously posted pictures indicating that he has set off for China. With a value of 900,000 euros, he is considered a good acquisition when compared to other foreign players recently contacted by Chinese Super League teams. The level of foreign players in the post-Golden Yuan football era is generally around 1 million euros.
