Outside of Oscar's aura, Argentine winger Vargas has also caught the keen eye of Turkish clubs, and he may be set to embark on a Turkish Super League campaign next season. However, Brazilian winger Pope will most likely bid farewell to the team after his loan expires due to the scarcity of playing opportunities. Such changes indicate that Shanghai Seaport may face the risk of losing three key foreign aiders in the short term, which is not to be underestimated in the overall strength of the team.
What is more worrying is that Wu Lei, the main scorer of the harbor team, has been troubled by a knee injury recently, and his competitive status has been fluctuating. In addition, after his withdrawal from the national team, the national soccer team has been on a winning streak, which has also brought great public pressure on Wu Lei. The combination of all these factors may have a negative impact on his performance in the coming season.
This series of turmoil has brought great pressure to Shanghai Seaport. Being the defending champions, they not only have to deal with challenges from other teams, but also have to cope with the drastic changes in their lineup.
Meanwhile, the Harbour Club's reorganization strategy has presented an opportunity for city rival Shanghai Shenhua. Shenhua had missed out on the Chinese Super League title this season, losing by just one point. Now, with the Harbour Club's lineup unsettled, Shenhua is expected to capitalize on this opportunity. In recent years, Shenhua's youth training has yielded great results, with young talents such as Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Shenglong, Wang Haijian, and Xu Haoyang having become the backbone of the team and making their mark on the national team. The fluctuation and weakening of the Harbor team makes Shenhua a contender to be reckoned with in the battle for the Super League title next season.
However, Shenhua itself is also facing challenges. Recent rumors about the club's alleged match-fixing incidents have been swirling, and if true, Shenhua and Shandong Taishan could face penalty points deductions from the Football Association next season. If this is the case, Beijing Guoan will undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary, and is expected to come out on top in the battle for the Chinese Super League title next season.
