Currently, all teams have started their winter training preparations. For the double champion of last season, Shanghai Port still faces considerable pressure during this off-season due to the departure of two top-tier foreign players in the Chinese Super League (CSL), Oscar and Bargas. This has undoubtedly significantly reduced the team's strength. Therefore, during this off-season, Shanghai Port needs to strengthen its foreign player lineup. Although it is impossible to introduce players of the caliber of Oscar and Bargas again, it is still necessary to select players with good abilities.
According to previous media reports, Shanghai Port's first signing has been confirmed as Matheus Vital, who is currently playing for Cruzeiro in the Brazilian league. His market value is as high as 2.5 million euros, and in the new season, Vital will become the successor to Oscar. However, Shanghai Port's pursuit of foreign players will not stop there. The team will continue to look for suitable foreign players. Recently, according to reports from Shanghai media, Shanghai Port's second signing is also on the horizon, with the team targeting Leonardo from Shandong Taishan.
According to a self-media report from Shanghai, Shandong Taishan's foreign player Leonardo, who is valued at 4 million euros, is expected to join Shanghai Port in the new season, becoming the team's second new foreign player after other signings. Leonardo's performance at Taishan did not fully meet expectations, despite his certain abilities. He was never able to find the most suitable position within Taishan's tactical system. Therefore, news about Leonardo possibly leaving the team might not be entirely unexpected for Taishan. For Shanghai Port, however, introducing Leonardo is undoubtedly an option worth looking forward to.
Shanghai media are optimistic about Leonardo's prospects of joining Shanghai Port. They believe that although Leonardo was unable to fully demonstrate his abilities at Taishan, this was largely due to tactical compatibility issues rather than a lack of ability. Leonardo had already proven his abilities at Changchun Yatai and Zhejiang FC. In the 2023 season, he won the league's Golden Boot while playing for two different teams, and last season at Zhejiang, he also won the Silver Boot with 22 goals.
It is worth noting that if Leonardo successfully joins Shanghai Port, the team will gather the winners of the Golden Boot, Silver Boot, and Bronze Boot from last season's CSL. The top-notch front line pairing of Leonardo and Wu Lei will become the biggest highlight of Shanghai Port's new season. Such a luxurious attacking lineup undoubtedly makes Shanghai Port one of the hottest contenders for the CSL title. Shanghai Port may also adjust its formation choices for the new season due to Leonardo's addition, in order to better leverage his offensive capabilities. In the view of Shanghai media, even without Oscar and Bargas, Shanghai Port is still expected to create history in the new season.