Shanghai Shenhua, the oldest team in the Chinese Super League, is getting a new lease of life as the Jiuzhi Group joins the team. Once the debt is cleared, Shenhua will have to lift the transfer ban, and signings can continue as usual during the winter window.
Compared to the past, Shenhua team this winter attraction goal is more clear, the choice of foreign aid around the age, strength and cost-effective three core elements.
Bassogo, last season's foreign star, will remain with the team this season. The Cameroonian shot-stopper's performance at last year's World Cup underlined his status as a top power in the Chinese Super League.
Shenhua have welcomed in Angolan striker Malelele, Cameroonian midfielder Amadou, and American defender Yan Xinli after Bassogo's contract extension. The three new additions have been officially confirmed by the club.
A fifth foreigner has also surfaced in the form of Portuguese midfielder João Teixeira, who played for Porto. 30-year-old Teixeira started out in Braga and has traveled to some of Europe's soccer powerhouses, including Sporting Lisbon, Liverpool, Bradford, and Brighton.
Teixeira is good at forward and can also play as a left winger. With his speed, excellent ball control, wide field of vision and excellent dispatching, he can assist and score goals, making him one of the best attacking midfielders in the game.
With the departure of Moreno and Adrian, Shenhua is in dire need of a strong foreigner to boost the team's strength. Despite the transfer fee of Teixeira is as high as 2 million euros, Shenhua still determined to introduce him from Umm Shahrar. It is reported that the transfer agreement has been reached, Teixeira will join soon.
Ahead of Teixeira's arrival, three new recruits, Malelele, Amadou and Yan Xinli, will show their strengths when they debut in next week's warm-up match against Changchun Yatai.
In addition to the three foreigners, Shenhua also brought in local star Zhang Wei, a 23-year-old international striker who had attracted the attention of a number of clubs, but eventually Shenhua won him over with a sincere attitude and the highest contract amount.
Zhang Wei's arrival injects fresh blood into Shenhua's forward line. Compared to last season, the strength of Shenhua's midfield has improved dramatically, and the support of midfielders such as Teixeira and Cao Yunding will allow Zhang Wei's attacking ability to be further utilized.
The addition of four foreigners and three local reinforcements, along with players such as Wu Xi, Zhu Chenjie and Jiang Shenglong, gives Shenhua the strength to hit the top four in the table this season. The key to achieving this goal lies in coach Wu Jingui's ability to maximize the use of these new recruits.
