Wu Lei returns to Shanghai Port after three-year stint with Espanyol
- One of China’s most high-profile players, Wu is first Chinese star to score and assist in La Liga and the Spanish King’s Cup
- His return to Shanghai coincides with departure of Oscar, who leaves Chinese Super League after five and a half years
Chinese forward Wu Lei will rejoin Shanghai Port FC from next season after three years with Spanish La Liga side Espanyol.
The Chinese Super League confirmed the move on Thursday after weeks of speculation about his return to Shanghai – where he began his senior career in 2006, and scored 151 goals in 296 appearances, before making the jump to European football.
During his time with Catalan club Espanyol, the 30-year-old scored 16 goals and provided six assists across 126 appearances.
In a brief statement, Espanyol thanked Wu for his professionalism and commitment to the team.
One of China’s most high-profile players of the last decade, Wu is the first Chinese player to score goals and provide assists in La Liga and the Spanish King’s Cup. He is also the first Chinese male player to score in Europe.
His move back to Shanghai Port coincides with the departure of Oscar, who signed for Rio de Janeiro-based Flamengo after five and a half years in the Chinese Super League.
Oscar joined Shanghai SIPG, as they were then named, in the January 2017 transfer window, arriving as a 25-year-old with 48 caps for Brazil.
The former Chelsea midfielder swapped the English Premier League for the Chinese Super League in a deal worth US$74 million, which was then the seventh-highest transfer fee of all time.
Oscar’s departure had been largely expected after he missed the bulk of the first half of the current season because of travel disruptions and mandatory quarantine in China.
