In the 18th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), the champion team Wuhan Sanzhen narrowly defeated Meizhou Hakka 2-1. Aziz performed well and scored two goals; Stancho was also in excellent form and acted as the engine of the attack and managed to assist once; and the newly-introduced player Duan Liuyu was also integrating into the team gradually and showed excellent organization ability, creating two excellent chances. However, Wuhan Sanzhen's overall control was still not strong enough, as they lost a goal on the defensive end and remained inefficient on the offensive end.
It is important to realize that Wuhan Three Town's goal this season is to keep the sixth place and fight for the third place, while also taking care of the two major tournaments, the FA Cup and the AFC Champions League. Currently, Wuhan Three Town have a record of six wins, nine draws and three losses, and are seventh in the CSL table. Beijing Guoan are sixth in the competition, with one point less than Chengdu Rongcheng and six points less than Chengdu Rongcheng. There are enough chances to fight for the third place. In order to ensure a strong and full squad in the race for the top three places and qualification for the AFC Champions League, Wuhan Three Town have decided to undergo a massive turnover of squad personnel.
Currently, Wuhan Sanzhen's "de turn" is worth 16.95 million euros, equivalent to about 140 million yuan. It is the second largest squad in the Chinese Super League after Shanghai Harbor, and its overall strength will be closer to that of Shanghai Harbor after the upgrade in the summer window. After the upgrade in the summer window, the overall strength will be closer to that of Shanghai Port.In July, Wuhan Sanzhen confirmed the reorganization of the third line of the lineup, and signed Park Chi-Soo, Duan Liu-Yu, and Malcolm, three "Champion Stars" consecutively. All of them won the Chinese Super League title and have reached the level of starting starters in the Chinese Super League.
Park Ji-soo was previously a starting center back for Guangzhou, where he excelled in both offense and defense, helping Guangzhou win the 2019 season's Chinese Super League title.In early 2023, he left Guangzhou on a free transfer and joined Portuguese Premier League side Portimão Man. In half a season, he has been in excellent form, starting all 14 of his games in the Portuguese Superliga, and although he only has 0 goals and 1 assist, he is averaging close to 2 tackles, 1 interception, and 4 clearances per game. He is now only 29 years old and in the prime of his career. The transfer is back to the Chinese Super League, joining the three Wuhan towns. The transfer fee is only 700,000 euros. Park Ji-soo will replace Wallace as an outside center back for Three Towns Wuhan with the Asian Champions League in mind.
Duan Liuyu, a loanee from Shandong Taishan, joined Wuhan Sanzhen and became the team's starting front-rower. His partnership with Stancho will further enhance the team's control and creativity in front of the goal. In this round of matches, Wuhan Sanzhen defeated Meizhou Hakka 2-1. Duan Liuyu made 32 passes and successfully found his teammates 30 times, with a pass success rate of 94%. He also created two excellent scoring chances and made two successful crosses. At the age of 25, Duan Liuyu helped Taishan win the Chinese Super League title in the 2021 season.
Malcolm Malcolm, the former Chinese Super League Golden Boot winner and scorer of the Chinese Super League title last season, is set to return to Wuhan Sanzhen on loan, according to several media reporters. The two sides have confirmed the signing of a loan contract and are scheduled to enter the country on July 24th. Malcolm, 29, was outstanding for Wuhan Three Town last season, scoring 27 goals and contributing two assists to help the team win the title. He then moved to Jeddah Nationals in Saudi Arabia for a whopping €4.5 million, however, his performance in Saudi Arabia was not satisfactory. As a result, Malcolm decided to return to Wuhan Sanzhen in order to find form. According to Beijing Youth Daily's analysis, Wuhan Three Town has seven foreigners, six of which can be enrolled in the Asian Champions League, which implements the "5+1" rule for foreigners, while the Chinese Super League continues to implement the "4+1" rule. Based on the current situation, Wuhan Tri-Town may face some difficulties in adjusting the next participants, and one of them, Wallace and Davidson, may not be able to participate in the second half of the tournament.
