Yunnan Yulong, the newly promoted team in the Chinese Super League (CSL), is expected to be a promising new force in the upcoming season. As a newcomer to the CSL, their goal for the new season is to avoid relegation. They need to adapt to the more intense competition in the CSL to have a chance to establish themselves in the league.
In order to accomplish the task of avoiding relegation in the new season, Yunnan Yulong has made significant moves during the winter break and has decided to make major changes to their squad. Although the team that was promoted to the CSL performed well in the China League One, they faced difficulties in adapting to the higher level of competition in the CSL, which put them at a disadvantage and even made it challenging for them to avoid relegation.
The domestic player adjustments were particularly noteworthy, with almost half of the local players being replaced. In last season's 33-man squad, as many as 17 players left due to contract expirations. Most of these players were dropped because they did not meet the tactical needs of the team, while some left to seek new opportunities for personal development.
In the goalkeeper position, Yao Haoyang, the main goalkeeper from the China League One period, left the team. Instead, Ma Zhen was loaned from Shanghai Shenhua, and Geng Xiaofeng, a former national team goalkeeper whose contract expired with Chengdu Rongcheng, was brought in. Both of these players are experienced and capable goalkeepers in the CSL, and together with Yu Jianxian, who renewed his contract with the team, Yunnan Yulong has a solid reserve of goalkeepers for the new season.
In the defensive line, Zhang Chenliang, the 26-year-old captain of Shijiazhuang Gongfu, was introduced. As a defender, Zhang played 28 times in the China League One last season and scored 3 goals. It can be seen that Zhang not only excels in defense but also possesses the attributes of an attacking full-back. Additionally, Li Songyi, a central defender trained by Shandong Luneng, joined the newly promoted CSL team after his contract with Henan ended last season. At 31 years old, Li has extensive experience in the CSL and will play a pivotal role in the defense.
In midfield, several players with experience in the CSL have joined the team. Players such as Ye Chugui from Meizhou, Zhang Yufeng from Yatai, and Duan Dezhi from Guoan will become key players for the newly promoted team in the new season.
The forward line will mainly rely on foreign players. The most anticipated addition is Oscar, a naturalized Chinese national team player who played for Cangzhou Mighty Lions last season, who will lead the charge for the newly promoted team. Oscar is likely to be registered as a domestic player. Meanwhile, African foreign player Mushegu, who contributed significantly to the team's promotion, chose to join Dalian Yingbo to compete in the China League One due to personal reasons.
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about Serbian defender Cernomakovic, who was close to signing a deal. However, after arriving in Yuxi, Cernomakovic was dissatisfied with the city environment and chose not to sign. This unexpected decision caught Yunnan Yulong off guard, and the club quickly activated Plan B to find alternative foreign player options.