With Shanghai Seaport reassembling on Monday, preparations for the new season have begun, but Oscar is alone in the team's foreign aid lineup. According to a report by Korean media outlet Osen on Feb. 25, Shanghai Seaport did not notify another foreign aid, Lopez, to return to the team, and the club has decided to part ways with him due to the heavy salary burden.
Looking back at Lopez's career, he moved from Jeonbuk Hyundai of South Korea to Shanghai Seaport in 2020, with 52 goals and 33 assists in 157 games in the Korean league. However, in a training session at the end of September last year, Lopez unfortunately suffered a serious injury, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and his season was reimbursed early, missing the AFC Cup and the Chinese Super League title contenders' group matches. After undergoing surgery in Brazil, Lopes made 14 appearances for Seaport, contributing four goals and one assist before his injury last season.
Last year, Lopes was rumored to join Fenerbahce, but ultimately failed to do so. In an interview with the Brazilian media, Lopes, who is recuperating from an injury, said he would focus on the 2022 season and help the team both on and off the field. Recently, he posted a running video on social media, but due to the Chinese Super League salary restriction policy, the seaport side has decided to go their own way with Lopes.
Sources say that Lopez's high salary has put great pressure on Shanghai Seaport, and the club has said that it cannot continue to work with them or the current players will not be able to stay. Lopez has been made aware of the seaport policy and is in talks with clubs in several leagues and is expected to leave the seaport.
Lopez himself is said to have been informed of the Harbour Club's decision and has been in contact with a number of league clubs, with a departure from the Harbour highly unlikely for the new season.
