After so much talk, Shandong Taishan finally has a new foreign player, and their value is more than ten times that of the previous foreign player. Fans are excited, hoping for the next Gilberto!
The 2024 season saw Shandong Taishan struggle through, finishing fifth in the league, which on the surface seems decent, but they were a full 30 points behind the top team. Is this still the familiar Shandong Taishan that fans once knew? None of the newly introduced players, whether foreign or domestic, have met fan expectations.
Following the end of the season, the club parted ways with Pato and sold Leonardo, giving fans the impression that Shandong Taishan was gearing up for a major push. However, upon further reflection, it's clear that the club can no longer afford to make big moves; the lack of strong player acquisitions over the past two seasons is due to significant financial pressures. After Pato's departure, there were rumors that multiple foreign players would join Shandong Taishan, promising surprises. Yet, many days have passed without any news of these foreign players.
On January 21st, Brazilian self-media futeousadia reported that Brazilian central defender Lucas Gazal will join Shandong Taishan. Fans have finally received news of the new foreign player, but who exactly is Gazal?
Gazal is only 25 years old, standing at 1.87 meters tall, and plays as a central defender. He joined Goianiense Atlético Clube in Brazil in 2022 and was loaned to Mirassol in Serie B for the 2024 season. Last season, he played 22 games for Mirassol, helping the team secure promotion to Serie A as runners-up. According to futeousadia, Gazal will join Shandong Taishan, with Transfermarkt data showing his contract with Goianiense expiring at the end of 2025, valued at 700,000 euros.
Shandong Taishan did not choose to strengthen the midfield or add new players to the center forward position but opted to sign Gazal for the defense, indicating that head coach Choi Kang-hee is not entirely confident in the team's defensive capabilities. Everyone remembers Wang Dalei being named the best goalkeeper of the 2024 season, right? Some say that no one else deserved it, except for Wang Dalei. However, others believe that Wang Dalei winning the award for best goalkeeper was justified, even though he didn't concede the fewest goals, because the blame lies with Shandong Taishan's poor defense.
Although Gazal's value is only a modest 700,000 euros, it is at least ten times higher than Marcelo's, indicating that Shandong Taishan has indeed upgraded its approach to selecting foreign players. At just 25 years old, if Gazal performs well, he could play for another five years and potentially be naturalized. Shandong Taishan's defense does need bolstering, requiring a strong central defender to share the burden with Wang Dalei.
Many fans hope that Gazal will excel in the team and strive to become the next Gilberto. It's not impossible; if Gazal can perform at Gilberto's level, his value will skyrocket!