The 2025 season of the Chinese Super League (CSL) promises to be full of excitement, with many highlights to look forward to. For instance, after the departure of Oscar and Bargas, Shanghai Port's strength has significantly diminished, potentially leading to a more chaotic title race in the new season. Additionally, newly-promoted teams like Dalian Yibo and Yunnan Yulong have made significant investments, enhancing their competitiveness and adding suspense to the relegation battle. The foreign player policy for the new season remains unchanged, allowing five foreign players to play simultaneously. However, the total number of foreign player registrations for the entire season has been reduced from seven to six, indicating a very low tolerance for errors with foreign players, as only one foreign player can be replaced during the summer transfer window.
After the departure of Oscar and Bargas, Shanghai Port has already fallen from being the top contender for the championship. Their foreign player lineup has significantly weakened, and there has been no news about new foreign signings. The domestic players are also aging and experiencing a decline in form, resulting in a substantial decrease in the team's overall strength. This shift seems to have given Shanghai Shenhua an even greater advantage, especially with Chengdu Rongcheng, who finished third last season, also strengthening their squad. Thus, the championship race for the 2025 season appears relatively clear, with Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng forming the first tier, while Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan make up the second tier.
Following the significant loss in strength, Shanghai Port has finally taken action, quickly securing two foreign players: Brazilian midfielder Vital and Shandong Taishan forward Leonardo. Vital was the first to be confirmed, and the player has already flown to Shanghai to sign the contract. As for Leonardo, there have been rumors about him, but now it has been confirmed by Lu media that he will transfer to Shanghai Port. Leonardo still has a year left on his contract, making him a player of Shandong Taishan. Although Zhejiang FC wanted to keep him, the decision lies with Shandong Taishan. It seems that the Brazilian forward has ultimately been traded to Shanghai Port by Taishan, likely due to a higher transfer fee offered by Port, which allowed them to secure Leonardo.
Leonardo, the Brazilian forward, is currently valued at 4 million euros, ranking among the top three in the CSL. It is estimated that no new foreign players exceeding 3 million euros will join the CSL during this transfer window. Therefore, considering the current situation with foreign players, Leonardo and Crescendo are considered top-tier foreign players, highly sought after or fought to retain by various teams. Meanwhile, Beijing Guoan has also made significant transfer news, with official news from J-League giants Gamba Osaka announcing that their midfield core, Duan, has left the team, with his next destination being Beijing Guoan.
Duan is an absolute mainstay of Gamba Osaka, having played 102 games for the team over three seasons. He possesses strong defensive capabilities and outstanding heading skills, making him a significant foreign signing upon his arrival in the CSL. Initially, both Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan were at a disadvantage in the championship race for the new season. However, with the addition of these powerful foreign players, the championship situation could change instantly, allowing both teams to enter the first tier of championship contenders.