The Top Five Foreign Players in the Chinese Super League in 2023
With less money floating around in the Chinese Super League these days, the CSL is no longer the magnet for overseas talent that it once was.
That being said though, most of the league’s teams do still have fairly significant financial backing. Especially when compared to other leagues in East Asia.
And so while the calibre of foreign players playing in the CSL isn’t what it was six or seven years ago. The league still has enough cash to attract some very decent overseas talent.
So let’s now take a look at the top five foreign players currently plying their trade in China’s top-flight.
5. Aziz — Wuhan Three Towns
The 24-year-old Ghanaian striker is the only non-Brazilian to crack the top five.
A big target man centre-forward, Aziz was brought in by Wuhan Three Towns in the off-season as a like-for-like replacement for last season’s top scorer Marcao.
With big shoes to fill figuratively and perhaps literally, Aziz hasn’t disappointed and has been a real bright spot for Three Towns this year in what has otherwise been a sub-par season for them.
During his short time in the CSL, he’s emerged as the league’s number-one aerial threat and has been in prolific form over the past month or so finding the net seven times in his last six appearances.
With Marcao now having rejoined Three Towns on loan from Al Ahli, it will be interesting to see if the two can form an effective partnership in the coming months.
4. Cryzan — Shandong Taishan
Another player who is playing well in a team that is having a disappointing season is Shandong striker Cryzan.
An athletic and technically strong player. Prior to playing in China, Cryzan had a decent if unspectacular career in Europe, his career really began to blossom however when he made the switch to the CSL last year and since then has become one the league’s most consistent goalscorers.
Like last season, he got off to a bit of a slow start this year but has hit his stride as the season has worn on. Shandong will need him to maintain his good form if they are to make a push for an Asian Champions League spot.
3. Romulo — Chengdu Rongcheng
In at number three is midfield playmaker Romulo. A K League veteran, Romulo made the move to China in 2021 and was a key part of Chengdu Rongcheng’s promotion-winning campaign that year.
It took him a bit of time to adapt to the CSL last year, but he really found his feet in the second half of the campaign with some impressive performances in the final stretch of the season helping Rongcheng to an impressive fifth-place finish in their first season in the top flight.
This season he got off to a fantastic start and was in excellent form in an undefeated Rongcheng team until disaster struck and he tore his ACL. Chengdu’s struggles in his subsequent absence, have only underlined what a top-quality player he is.
ACL injuries can be some of the cruellest in professional sports. Romulo does however still have about a year and a half left on his contract and at 27 he’s still relatively young. If all goes well, he could recover from this injury in time for the start of next season.
2. Oscar — Shanghai Port
Oscar’s presence in the CSL now seems like a relic of a bygone era of opulence and excess. One of the few remaining big names from the league’s glory years, Oscar has been one of the CSL’s top players since he arrived in 2017.
Everyone knows what Oscar can do from his time at Chelsea and during his years in China he’s always been one of the CSL’s top players. This year he’s been as good as ever. Putting in some superb performances in vital games as Shanghai Port look to claim their second-ever league title.
1. Leonardo — Zheijiang FC (On loan from Shandong Taishan)
After successfully climbing his way up the Japanese football pyramid, Leonardo made the switch to the CSL in 2021 when he joined Shandong Taishan. The Brazilian striker endured a torrid first year in China. Initially struggling to make an impact at Shandong before having an equally unsuccessful loan spell with Hebei.
Last year Shandong shipped him off on loan to K League 1 side Ulsan Hyundai, where he had an excellent year. Rediscovering his confidence and scoring touch, he was a key player in an Ulsan team that went on to claim its first league title in over 15 years.
This season he’s built on that momentum and has been in absolutely prolific form. Starting the season on loan at Changchun before moving on to Zheijiang, he’s lit up the league with some ruthless finishing. But what has been more impressive is the speed with which he has been able to build up chemistry with his teammates at both clubs.
Whether he will continue to perform at this level on a long-term basis remains to be seen. But right now in the form that he’s currently in, he’s definitely the best overseas player in the CSL.
