Beijing Guoan Set to Sign 28-Year-Old Brazilian Midfielder for Next Season's CSL Title Bid
On January 12th, Beijing time, Gamba Osaka officially announced that Brazilian midfielder Dawan, who has been with the team for three seasons, will be leaving and transferring to an overseas club. Domestic media personality Miao Yuan was the first to reveal that several CSL teams were interested in Dawa, with the transfer fee for this Brazilian midfielder hovering around $2 million. Subsequently, Miao Yuan reported that Beijing Guoan had ultimately signed Dawa, a piece of news also reported by Japanese media "Sports Hochi."
Dawan, a powerful Brazilian midfielder, is only 28 years old and is in the prime of his career. Last season, Dawa made 44 appearances for Gamba Osaka, starting in 34 of them and scoring 4 goals. Over the past three seasons, Dawa has been a mainstay in the midfield, playing in a total of 116 games, scoring 14 times, and assisting 8 times.
Media personality Miao Yuan stated: "Dawan is a top-tier midfielder that several strong teams in this year's CSL are looking at. He is in his prime at 28 years old, with explosive physical energy, and despite not being tall, he can still head the ball. The transfer fee is around 2million,withapost−taxsalaryofjustover100,000. Some strong CSL teams hope to use him as a target for future midfield upgrades, with Shanghai, Zhejiang, Yushan, and Guoan among the rumored suitors."
After the official announcement of Dawa's departure, Japanese media "Sports Hochi" reported that Dawa's next destination is the CSL team Beijing Guoan. Miao Yuan then confirmed that it was indeed Beijing Guoan who signed Dawa. For Guoan, being able to sign Dawa during the winter window is undoubtedly a significant reinforcement, and it could even be said to be the last piece of the puzzle in their title-winning journey.
Last season, Beijing Guoan finished fourth in the CSL. In the second half of the season, the team's local attacking group experienced a complete explosion, ultimately ending the 2024 CSL campaign with four wins and one draw. At the national level, Guoan players have been heavily utilized by coach Ivan. Seven players, including Zhang Yuning, Lin Liangming, Wang Ziming, Cao Yongjing, Li Lei, Yang Liyu, and Han Jiaqi, have been included in the national team training squad.
In addition, Guoan also signed popular naturalized player Serginho and overseas center-back Wu Shaocong during the winter window. With these signings, the outline of Guoan's midfield for next season has emerged, with Serginho as the attacking midfielder and Dawa as the defensive midfielder. On the flanks, Guoan also has a host of talented players such as Lin Liangming, Cao Yongjing, Yang Liyu, and Fang Hao. After upgrading their midfield configuration, Beijing Guoan is set to be the biggest favorite for the 2025 CSL title.