Currently, there are technically nine naturalized players in the Chinese men's soccer team, and they present different status quo. Not long ago, Golat spent $250 to complete the naturalization procedure, and Evergrande spent more than $800 million on naturalization. At the same time, Xiao Tao Tao is also busy with the naturalization, the formalities are basically completed, and the results will soon be officially announced. In addition to Gao and Xiao's naturalization, Yankovic has seven other naturalized players, of which Ai and Li have already returned.
According to media reports, midfielder Li Ke is back at Beijing Guoan once again, performing well in training and may go on to extend his contract. Li is a good midfielder in both offense and defense and could play a role in improving the national soccer team. Iverson recently joined Chinese Super League side Chengdu Chengdu and proved himself at Evergrande in the AFC Champions League before scoring four goals for the national team. As long as there are no injuries or other problems, Ai and Lee will also be key players for the national team.
Luo Guofu and five others are also eligible to represent the national soccer team. 28-year-old Jiang Guangtai plays for Shanghai Seaport, played in all of the last 12 matches and is the main defender for the national soccer team. Alan also plays for Fluminense in Brazil and has said he wants to play in the Asian Cup. The Bison play for the U.S. in Minero, Brazil, and have repeatedly expressed a desire to play for their country. Hou has gone to Mobile A and can be recalled at any time. Only Fernando's situation is a bit complicated and needs to be analyzed.
Fernando, nicknamed Little Motorcycle, had played well in Chongqing and was also considered to be a strengthened version of Wu Lei. But he has been flat on his back. Fernando was selected for the national team several times for the 2022 World Qualifiers, but each time he was "accidentally injured", he made zero appearances for the national soccer team. None of this is the case, as the little motorcycle has never joined any team since leaving the Premier League in 2020 and ended up in flat-bed mode. So, even if he were to return to the national team, then this form would inevitably be a cause for concern.
Objectively speaking, Ackerson, Allan and Lok Kwok Foo all seem to be getting old. But the fact is that the professional attitude and competitiveness of these naturalized bosses is significantly better than that of local international players. In addition, Li Ke and Jiang Guangtai are both in their prime and they are easier to use than local bosses. In this way, if Jankovic can arrange the right tactics while the naturalized and local have a tacit cooperation, the Asian Cup could be a bit dramatic, or at least not too ugly to play. Are you optimistic about the new national soccer team with naturalization + local + Jankovic?
