According to a report by U.S. media outlet mlsmultiplex, Chinese-born player Wu Xiaohai (Ryan Raposo), who currently plays for Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps, is very close to signing with a Chinese Super League team. According to the report, two clubs, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Harbor, have made enticing offers to Ng, making his future in China more likely. Once he accepts the offer from the Chinese Super League team, Wu will also essentially become a Chinese player and change his nationality.
Wu Xiaohai is now a Canadian national, but because of his Chinese background, he has been a popular target for the Chinese national team to naturalize a player who would be eligible to play for the Chinese national team if he changes his nationality. According to reports in the American media, playing for the Chinese national team is an unknown challenge for Wu Xiaohai, but he has already held detailed talks with Shanghai Hong Kong and Shenhua. The contracts offered by the Chinese Super League teams are very tempting, which is what prompted Wu Xiaohai to opt for naturalization.
According to U.S. media reports, if Ng Xiaohai accepts Shanghai Harbour or Shenhua's terms, it would mean he would need to renounce his Canadian citizenship and change his nationality and club membership to become a Chinese player. Considering that Ng Xiaohai has repeatedly expressed his desire to represent Canada before and has shown his loyalty to the Canadian national team, this move is bound to cause controversy in Canadian soccer.
Wu Xiaohai, 24, is a wingback or winger who has been playing quite well in the big leagues in recent years, which has drawn interest from Chinese Super League teams. It's unclear whether Wu Xiaohai prefers Shenhua or Shanghai, which is clearly more attractive from a strengths standpoint, especially since he'll have the chance to partner up with Wu Lei, the leader of the national soccer team's frontcourt, sooner rather than later.
