Changchun Yatai squad taking shape ahead of 2025 season

Changchun Yatai

The 2025 Chinese Super League season gets underway in just over a month, and Changchun Yatai has been working hard to build a new squad to compete.

Head coach Xie Hui took over a squad in 2024 comprised entirely of players signed by Chen Yang or his predecessors. After a tough relegation battle, he managed to keep the team in the top tier.

Now, with so many players leaving the Northeastern club, new faces are arriving and looking to make 2025 a more positive season overall for Changchun fans.

The first task Xie Hui has needed to address is the departure of long-time star and club captain Serginho, who has left to join Beijing Guoan and, reportedly, naturalise and play for the China National Team.

Changchun Yatai Import Changes

Serginho recently played in a pre-season friendly for Beijing against Changchun, bringing up a lot of emotions from fans of his former club – most of whom questioned who would replace him.

His role in the team moved largely from a central midfield role to more of a wide attacking player, which looks to have been replaced predominantly by former Norway international striker Ohi Omoijuanfo.

Omoijuanfo signed a contract with the team after joining from Danish club Brøndby IF.

He will help strengthen the club’s goalscoring efforts, especially given the positive impact Serginho had in front of goal with eight goals and eight assists in 24 matches last season.

Forward Robert Berić and centre-backs Lazar Rosić and Stoppila Sunzu have returned to the team for 2025, leaving a decision to be made on the final import spot available – with Brazilian forward Guilherme still contracted to the club.

The 33-year-old started last year positively, with five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in 12 matches before suffering a season-ending injury.

He is working his way back to fitness, but Changchun Yatai could be set to part ways with him if reports of Wylan Cyprien’s signing are to be believed.

The French midfielder is reportedly set to travel to China to sign a two-year deal with the club, seeing him fill the void of the departed Peter Zulj – who has moved to Thailand.

Teams are allowed just six import players in a season, meaning that if a club were to have six players registered at the start of the year, they could not bring anyone else in even if a long-term injury is suffered.

This gives Changchun Yatai a tough decision to make with regards to Guilherme, as he would undoubtedly be a valuable player to the team but may also be an injury concern.

Equally, he doesn’t play in midfield, which is an area that still requires strengthening.

Domestic Arrivals

With so many outgoings, including Liao Chengjian, Cui Qi and Yuan Mincheng, Changchun Yatai had a deficit of players in their half of the pitch.

Xie Hui has been working on bringing in domestic Chinese players with a range of experiences, with many having played internationally at youth level.

Midfielders Zhao Yingjie (Cangzhou Mighty Lions) and Xu Yue (Shijiazhuang Gongfu) arrive looking to play regularly with a weakened midfield providing opportunities, while former loanee Sun Qinhan has also made a return to the club.

While not officially confirmed, Li Shenyuan has also returned to the club and will be hoping to continue his impressive showing from last season’s loan spell.

Xu Haofeng, most recently with Henan, has reportedly linked up with the team’s training camp with a view to potentially signing.

The moves Xie Hui has made so far have been intriguing, with three right-backs. Depth in defence will be crucial to the team this season, but Yuan Mincheng hasn’t been replaced at centre-back and the focus has been firmly on the team’s weaknesses out wide.

This has included looking further forward, with the loss of Wang Jinxian particularly disappointing for fans. Yao Xuchen, previously with Cangzhou, looks to be a player who could win a place in the team as a result of this loss, along with the reported loan signing of Shanghai Shenhua’s Zhou Junchen earlier in the window.

Changchun Yatai look set to play a somewhat different-looking team in 2025, albeit with plenty of familiar faces, but will be hoping that an influx of fresh faces will bring more consistent results and cement them in the middle of the table.