Xu Xin has shown his strength on the green field, especially on the offensive side of the ball. On the other hand, Cai Huikang, despite his outstanding defensive skills, his age and declining athleticism have made it difficult for him to occupy a place in the starting lineup. Facing such a situation, the Harbour Team is in urgent need of a back-row player with strong defensive strength. According to the latest disclosure of the domestic media, the Seaports are targeting the summer transfer window of the Chinese Super League, with the intention of recruiting national team back He Chao of Wuhan Sanzhen.
He Chao, 29, was a starter for Changchun Yatai, and his talent almost won him the Chinese Super League's Best Newcomer award in the 2016 season. However, in the 2018 season, Changchun Yatai unfortunately fell into the first division, and He Chao has also been labeled as a "player shelf".
In that season, the two giants of the Chinese Super League, Guangzhou Evergrande and Tianjin Quanjian, both coveted the domestic midfielder, with Evergrande even going so far as to offer a transfer fee of more than 100 million yuan. After a fierce battle, Evergrande finally beat Quanjian and successfully signed He Chao.
After joining Evergrande, He Chao won the Chinese Super League title in his first season and was selected for the national team at Lippi's invitation to play in the 2019 East Asian Cup. But the good times didn't last long, as Evergrande fell on hard times after the 2021 season due to a financial crisis at the club's parent company, and He Chao was subsequently transferred to Chinese Super League newcomers Wuhan Sanzhen in 2022.
He Chao's career always seems to be accompanied by good luck. Soon after joining Wuhan Sanzhen, the team won the championship. But immediately afterward, Sanzhen also suffered from Evergrande's woes, and the club fell into financial difficulties after investors withdrew. This season, Wuhan Sanzhen's foreign and national team players have left the team, and He Chao was also rumored to leave the team, but eventually chose to stay.
Now, Shanghai Seaport is planning to bring in He Chao in the summer transfer window in a bid to strengthen the team's midfield. Considering the drastic change in the Chinese Super League landscape, Wei Shihao moved to Chengdu Rongcheng for 5 million RMB, the financial budget of Seaport to bring in He Chao will surely not exceed this figure. Therefore, as long as Seaport proposes reasonable transfer conditions, Wuhan Sanzhen will have no reason to refuse. Once He Chao joins the team, Seaport's midfield strength will be greatly improved, and the goal of defending the Chinese Super League title this season is within reach.
