With the arrival of Malele to Dalian Yibenbo, the team has now secured their third foreign player. However, Dalian Yibenbo's spending spree is far from over. They have now set their sights on Mamadou, the former Beijing Guoan central defender.
This latest scoop comes from a prominent online personality who had previously accurately predicted Malele's arrival. They now claim that Dalian Yibenbo's top target for a foreign central defender is Mamadou from Beijing Guoan, which seems quite likely. However, until an official announcement is made, nothing is certain, and it can only be said that there is currently contact between the two parties.
The process of bringing Malele to Dalian Yibenbo was not without its twists and turns. There were rumors of him going to Shanghai Port at one point, but ultimately, Dalian Yibenbo managed to secure his signing. Therefore, securing Mamadou could also prove challenging.
Mamadou is considered one of the better-performing foreign central defenders in the 2024 Chinese Super League season. In my personal opinion, Mamadou's abilities are more reliable than Engardu and superior to Beijing Guoan's new signing, Wu Shaocong. However, Beijing Guoan is looking to change their playing style this season and will no longer place their valuable foreign players in the central defensive position. The previous example of Shanghai Shenhua proves that champions cannot solely rely on defense; they must attack and keep attacking.
As a newly promoted team like Dalian Yibenbo, winning the championship is incredibly difficult. They should focus on avoiding relegation first, much like last year's newly promoted teams, Shenzhen Xinpengcheng and Qingdao. Mamadou played 25 games in the 2024 season, with two appearances in the FA Cup, accumulating a total of 2,176 minutes on the field. He has proven to be very capable of plugging gaps, and Dalian Yibenbo giving him a spot indicates that their spine is already in place. Their frontline will rely on Malele to create opportunities by charging through the opposition. I am not yet familiar with Dalian Yibenbo's midfield foreign players, but I will share more with everyone once the league starts. As for the defensive line, it will depend on Mamadou to hold it down.
Last season, Dalian Yibenbo's journey in the China League One was a close call. This season, they face formidable opponents. It remains to be seen whether the "sword" they picked up from Shanghai Shenhua and the "shield" they acquired from Beijing Guoan can help them establish themselves in the Chinese Super League. Then, they can gradually accumulate resources, stockpile national team players, and bring in high-level foreign players. The signing of Malele with a salary of 1 million is just the beginning. If they perform well, more players will surely follow!