As the Chinese Super League enters its closing stages, there are only three rounds of matches left to be decided. Shandong Taishan is leading the way with eight points, and if they beat Guoan in this round, they will win the title two rounds ahead of schedule. As for relegation, the Shenzhen team is having trouble operating and has basically locked up the relegation spot. Dalian People and Nantong Zhiyun will fight for the last relegation seat. The biggest suspense at the moment is which team will finish third in the Chinese Super League and thus win the qualification for next season's AFC Champions League. With Shanghai Shenhua in third place on goal difference and Beijing Guoan only three points behind, the third place in the Chinese Super League will be decided between Shenhua, Zhejiang and Beijing Guoan.
At the end of the league season, teams with no desire have begun to focus on the transfer market. Chengdu Rongcheng, as a new team in the Chinese Super League, has risen to prominence under the leadership of Coach Xu Zhengyuan. If the midfielder Romulo is not injured, Chengdu Rongcheng is expected to perform better and even compete for the AFC Champions League. The team's good performance has also boosted the management's confidence, and they have already started to look for suitable targets for next season's transfer operations. According to media reports, Chengdu Rongcheng has already locked a target - Shanghai Shenhua, a traditional Chinese Super League powerhouse.
Shanghai Shenhua was taken over the operation by Shanghai Jiuzhi Group before the start of this season, and actively solved the team's debt problem, brought in high-level players, and accelerated the team's renewal. Many young players have been reused this season. In order to make room for young players, Shenhua sent Peng Xinli and Bai Jiajun away on loan or transfer before the start of the season. Peng Xinli, who has had an eye-catching season with Qingdao Hainiu and whose loan contract will expire at the end of this season, may not return to Shenhua but choose to continue his career with another Chinese Super League team.
Chengdu Rongcheng is interested in recruiting Shenhua players, Peng Xinli is eager to return to Sichuan soccer team. Shenhua will not put up any obstacles. Besides Peng Xinli, Chengdu Rongcheng is also interested in Shenhua striker Liu Ruofan. Liu Ruofan was once Xu Genbao's favorite disciple and is considered to have outstanding talent. Despite representing China at the Asian Games, Liu Ruofan has not seen much playing time for Shanghai Shenhua, but he has excelled during his time at Chengdu Rongcheng, scoring 13 league goals in one season. In order to get more playing time, Liu Ruofan may apply for a transfer to Shenhua in the summer of this season, and Chengdu Rongcheng is the favorite choice for him. If Chengdu Rongcheng can successfully bring in these two Shenhua players, the strength of the team will be significantly improved.
Shanghai Port have virtually locked up the title this season, but title-winning coach Javier and central midfielder Oscar could leave the club. Oscar's contract is set to expire in 2024, and Shanghai Port may sell him to minimize losses under the Chinese Super League's salary restriction. Therefore, Shanghai Port may look for Oscar's replacement in the off-season. Due to the salary restriction, Shanghai Port is unable to bring in high-level foreign players, and they may look for domestic players in the Chinese Super League to fill the gap. According to media reports, Taishan midfielder Liu Yang could be Shanghai Port's target, who was selected to the national team as a new international player with his outstanding performance in the Asian Games.
