The 2025 season of the Chinese Super League (CSL) is set to kick off in late February, with two newly promoted teams, Yunnan Yukuang and Dalian Yingbo, drawing particular attention as they make their debut in the top-flight league.
Dalian Yingbo, representing the new banner of Dalian football, has also shown a strong competitive desire. The team acquired Marele from Shanghai Shenhua, who scored 16 goals last season, with a reported after-tax annual salary of around 1.1 million euros. Additionally, the team brought in Mamadou, the main central defender from Beijing Guoan last season, and Labuayed from Yunnan Yukuang.
In terms of foreign players, Dalian Yingbo has targeted Alemi, a current Macedonian international midfielder who excelled in the Romanian league and is expected to become the core of the team's midfield. For domestic players, the team has recruited seven players, including Cui Qi and Wen Xiaojia, all with rich CSL experience, effectively enhancing the team's overall strength.
Yunnan Yukuang, on the other hand, has made even bolder moves in player acquisitions. After the end of the golden era in the CSL, this newly promoted team invested heavily in the winter transfer window, signing multiple new players and becoming a new tycoon in the league. It is well-known that Yunnan Yukuang is backed by the powerful Yuxi Yukuang Steel Group, and they spare no expense in player acquisitions.
Recently, Yunnan Yukuang signed Hou Yongyong, the first naturalized Chinese football player, with a transfer fee reportedly exceeding 1 million euros. Hou Yongyong previously played for Beijing Guoan but failed to meet expectations due to knee injuries, resulting in his contract not being renewed. He then joined the Norwegian second-tier team Lanhjem.
Last season, Hou Yongyong had a breakout performance, winning both the league's Golden Boot and Best Player awards, thus regaining the interest of domestic clubs. Joining Yunnan Yukuang has significantly increased his income, and he also needs to prove himself again in the league. Besides Hou Yongyong, Yunnan Yukuang also brought in Oscar, who is about to complete his naturalization process, and Nene, a Portuguese midfielder known as the "budget version of Paulinho."
For domestic players, Yunnan Yukuang has made significant adjustments. As many as 17 players left the team after their contracts expired, including key players like Zang Yifeng and Li Peng. To strengthen the lineup, the team borrowed goalkeeper Ma Zhen from Shanghai Shenhua and brought in key players from Changchun Yatai and Meizhou Hakka. There are also reports that they will announce the signing of a heavyweight domestic player before the start of the new season.
Currently, Yunnan Yukuang is training in Thailand. Recently, they played a friendly match against Nara, a team from Japan's J3 League, in Bangkok. Although Nara ranked only 17th in the J3 League last season, they have performed quite well in recent friendlies.
In this match, Yukuang's head coach Anderson fielded the strongest lineup, adopting a 4-3-3 formation. New foreign player Nene made his first appearance in the starting lineup, playing as an attacking midfielder alongside Zhang Yufeng. Little Oscar played as the center forward, with Han Zilong and Luo Jing on the left and right wings, respectively.
However, shortly after the game began, Yukuang conceded the first goal as Nara capitalized on a non-absolute chance to break the deadlock. They successfully intercepted the ball on the right side of the midfield and scored a beautiful goal through a combination play, with the central player chesting the ball into the net. Just one minute later, Nara doubled their lead with a corner kick opportunity.
Despite conceding two quick goals, Yukuang managed to pull one back in the 35th minute when new signing Nene scored, making it 1-2. Both sides made substitutions in the second half, but the score remained unchanged, and Yukuang ultimately lost 1-2.
This defeat exposed deficiencies in Yukuang's defensive organization and ability to adapt during the match. Although the team has been active in the transfer market, the integration of new signings and the execution of overall tactics still require time. It is reported that Yukuang plans to introduce more heavyweight domestic players and expand the seating capacity of their home stadium to 30,000, clearly demonstrating their wealth. Whether they can deliver outstanding performances in the new season remains to be seen...