This morning, a heavy transfer news in Beijing time on April 11 quickly spread: playing for the Guangzhou team of international players Zhang Linpeng, will soon wear the Shanghai Harbour team's uniform.
Zhang Linpeng began his 11-year career with Guangzhou Evergrande in 2011, when he moved from Shanghai Dongya, the predecessor of Shanghai Harbour, to Guangzhou Evergrande. In those 11 years, he has played 328 matches for Guangzhou, scoring 18 goals, including 15 goals in 223 appearances in the Chinese Super League and 73 appearances in the AFC Champions League.
Recently, reports of Shanghai Seaport's interest in bringing in the national soccer team's defensive duo of Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Linpeng have been commonplace. In the current environment of the Chinese Super League, only two clubs, Shandong and Shanghai Seaports, have the conditions to bear the salaries of the two and operate in a stable manner. The Seaport, which has many East Asian teammates, is undoubtedly more attractive to Zhang Linpeng. The transfer, for Zhang Linpeng, can be described as a "return to the roots" of the return trip.
