With the pace of the Chinese Super League coming to an end, Shenzhen has locked the relegation place in advance, while other teams are going all out to fight for the title and relegation of the competition is getting more and more white-hot. At the end of the season, in addition to the full sprint of this season's goal, many teams have begun to save for a rainy day, ready for next season. On the one hand, teams need to communicate with players whose contracts are about to expire to renew their contracts, provided that the coaching team intends to stay; on the other hand, teams also need to make adjustments to their lineups, especially in the weaker parts of the defense or attack to make personnel additions. The club needs to plan ahead for the 2024 season.
Observing the Chinese Super League teams, the strength of foreign aid often becomes the key to the fate of the team. However, with the weakening of investment strength, it is increasingly difficult to introduce high-level foreign aid. As a result, the introduction of foreign aid has become more and more crucial, and the cost of mistakes has increased accordingly. Many teams therefore prefer to choose familiar rather than brand new foreign aiders to avoid a detour. Nonetheless, the Chinese Super League has a limited number of existing high-quality foreign aiders, especially after many seasons of testing, some of the players are getting older and their competitive status has declined.
Against this backdrop, clubs are weighing the pros and cons. Despite the fact that there are still two rounds of matches left before the end of the season, the first foreign aiders confirmed to leave the team have already surfaced. Henan's central midfielder Adrian and No. 10 have made it clear that their contracts will not be renewed when they expire, with only one last game left. In other words, Adrian will bid farewell to the team in advance and become the first player to leave the team in the winter transfer window. In the 28th round, Henan beat Cangzhou Lions by 6 goals, locking the relegation seat in advance. Next, the team will focus on developing young players, and Adrian's departure provides opportunities for newcomers.
Adrian has had a remarkable run in the Chinese Super League. Since 2018, he has played for five teams, including Yatai, Chongqing, R&F, Shenhua, and Henan, and mostly served as the core of the team. So far, Adrian has made 135 appearances, including 117 starts, contributing 29 goals and 34 assists, which is a great performance.
However, at 37, Adrian is getting on in age and his athleticism raises questions. This season, he has only collected 3 goals and 4 assists in 22 matches, which is far from expectations and is one of the reasons why he failed to renew his contract. Nonetheless, Adrian is still a worthy option and there are still a number of clubs interested in him for at least the next 1-2 seasons.
