John Hou Sæter, also known by his Chinese name Hou Yongyong, is an interesting naturalisation case and reports suggest he could be lining up a move to return to the Chinese Super League.
Born in Norway to a Norwegian father and a Chinese mother, Hou Yongyong was one of the first players to be naturalised after establishing himself in Norway’s top league.
He moved from Stabæk to Beijing Guoan in 2019, hoping to play regularly and earn himself international recognition under the new wave of naturalised players joining the China National Team.
However, things did not work out while in the Chinese capital. Injuries played a role and over four seasons, he featured just 28 times – missing the entire 2021 season.
He returned to Norway, and looks to be a rejuvenated player for Ranheim IL, a club he had a brief loan spell with earlier in his career.
He appeared in 15 matches in 2023, netting a goal and providing an assist from central midfield, but elevated his game in 2024.
Through 29 league matches, Hou Yongyong scored 19 goals and provided a further eight assists – winning the league’s Golden Boot and MVP awards at the end of the season.
With such an uptick in production, he has received attention from China once again.
He is currently at the national team training camp, where he hopes to impress in person and give the country something to consider, with the hunt for World Cup qualification firmly on the horizon.
Along with that, reports on Chinese social media site Weibo suggest that he has even commented on making a return to the Chinese Super League, stating that perhaps he will make a move this month to return – signalling a strong intent to put himself firmly into international consideration for China.
Predominantly a CM, he can play more advanced and could provide plenty of clubs with a goalscoring option that wouldn’t count against them as an import player, being naturalised already and ready to make an impression.
His struggles with Beijing Guoan might put off some teams further up the league standings, but teams in the middle of the pack that want to stake a claim higher up the ladder might be willing to take him on, making him a prominent player in their side and reap the rewards of adding a player with renewed determination.
He does have a link with Changchun Yatai, who recently signed his former Stabæk teammate Ohi Omoijuanfo.
The pair were photographed together with Omoijuanfo seemingly putting out a call for his former teammate to join him in the northeast.
Interest is bound to be strong in the 26-year-old, especially considering his international potential.