Shandong Taishan's quest for He Chao has been quite a tortuous one, with the team eventually deciding to cut their teeth on a mixed package of Huang Zhengyu and cash. Huang was a stalwart of the team after Choi Kang-hee took charge, but was replaced by the rise of Li Yuan-yi and Liao Li late last season. Hwang Jung-woo is a little short on confrontation and passing speed, so if this deal comes to fruition, it could be a win-win situation. He Chao, 28 years old and in his prime, with his solid defense and excellent confrontation, as well as not bad scheduling ability, to join the Taishan team will undoubtedly help Li Yuanyi to play a greater potential.
Meanwhile, Wuhan Three Town's team is in turmoil and players are on the verge of leaving. Wei Shihao was once seen as a potential target for Chengdu Rongcheng, but a stalemate over the transfer fee has made such a deal out of reach. With the possibility of Wei Shihao joining Chengdu diminishing, Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua have become the new favorites. Given Shenhua's need for a wingback, Wei Shihao's return to Shandong Taishan seems to be a better option, while Gao Junyi's return brings new vitality to the Taishan team.
Rumor has it that Shandong Taishan is interested in exchanging Leonardo for Wei Shihao, a deal that would not only free up the foreign aid quota for Taishan, but also strengthen the side. For Wuhan Sanzhen, both sides seem to have benefited from the loss of a Chinese Super League golden boot like Wei Shihao, but the team's overall offense has not been affected too much.
