BarcelonaOne of the first tasks that Chen Yansheng entrusted to Espanyol’s sports department, shortly after buying the club, was to search the market for Chinese players with sufficient potential to play in the first team. It was a personal bet by the Chinese owner, who wanted to strengthen the entity’s commercial ties with the Asian giant. He tried it, first, with two young people who did not manage to establish themselves in the subsidiary, Daniel Wong (Australian of Chinese origin) and Aokai Zhang. He did succeed with Wu Lei, the star of the moment in China whom he managed to bring after personally intervening in the negotiations. Five months after his departure, the white-and-blue club, which visits the leather this Sunday (14h- / DaZN) has incorporated Tan Kaiyuan. But who is this Chinese who has changed the Chinese Super League for the fourth division of Spanish football?
Considered one of the young hopes of Chinese football, this 21-year-old striker managed to make his debut in his country’s top flight, the Chinese Super League, shortly after suffering a serious meniscus and knee ligament injury that sidelined him for a year. In the summer of 2021, he tried his luck at Voivodina, a Serbian club that did not see the point in paying 60,000 euros to keep him in their possession. Back in his country, he scored five goals in 24 games for Guangzhou’s first team, which suffered a traumatic relegation in December.
We Chinese must be brave and go to Europe to raise the football level of Chinese football. Without that, they will continue to consider the Japanese and South Koreans better”
Tan Kaiyuan Espanyol B player
Before the operation was confirmed, however, Tan Kaiyuan had already made the decision to leave. Despite the fact that there was some offer to continue in Chinese football, he considered that in his country he would not be able to sign, in the short term, a contract equal to the potential he was beginning to show. On the other hand, he was clear that the only way to grow in football was to travel to the continent where he had dreamed of playing since he was a child. “More Chinese players need to be brave and go to Europe. The more of us who step up, the more the level of Chinese football will grow. Until this happens, they will always consider that our level is lower than that of Japanese and South Korean footballers”, he commented a few days ago in an interview in his country.
His signing by Espanyol B, with whom he has signed until 2025, has not surprised China, where they do see with some skepticism the possibility that he could reach the first team. “It was logical for him to leave, he is a good player despite his youth, but I wouldn’t put much expectation on him. He is still far from the best Chinese players, he needs to add minutes and learn. At best he could make it to the League in two or three years, although I’d be surprised if he did. It will depend on the sporting needs that Espanyol has at that time”, Zhao Xiaoou, a Chinese journalist from Wild East Football. “I wasn’t surprised, it’s a great opportunity for him, and Espanyol was a likely destination considering the Chinese ownership of the club,” disagrees Yuan ‘William’ Bi, of Titan Sports Plus.
He is still far from the best Chinese players. I would be surprised if he reaches the League in two or three years”
Zhao Xiaoou Periodista de Wild East Football
Both, however, agree that the signing of Tan Kaiyuan has, for now, a more commercial component than a sporting one. His career, in fact, contrasts with that of the last Chinese that Espanyol had: “At 22 years old, Wu Lei helped Shanghai Port to ascend to the Superliga. Tan Kaiyuan, at his age, has not been able to avoid Guangzhou’s relegation. The former was one of the best Chinese players of his generation, while the latter is a young talent who has shown some potential despite getting few opportunities. It acquired a great media coverage because it is one of the first products of the Evergrande Academy”, explains Yuan.
At Espanyol they justify their choice by sporting criteria. “It has entered the process of natural selection within the catchment area of the plant. We analyzed many profiles from Spain, Europe and the rest of the world and he met the characteristics we were looking for. He is an attacker who can act as a second striker or play on the wings, he is good in transitions, he goes well in space, he has access to the area and he kicks with both legs”, they analyze from the football base blanc-i – blue Tan Kaiyuan is no stranger to the Spanish youth team: as a teenager he spent a few months on trial at the youth A through a youth program at the Evergrande Football School which led him to study and play football for two years in Spain “He wasn’t out of tune”, admit the white-and-blue team coaches who were able to follow him during his first stay at the club. Among them, Luis Blanco, who is now their new coach at the subsidiary.
He is a young talent who has shown some potential. It acquired a great media coverage because it is one of the first products of the Evergrande Academy”
Yuan ‘William’ Bi Titan Sports Plus Journalist
From the theft at the Airport to the reunion with Luis Blanco
In addition to getting to know first-hand the atmosphere and rhythm of Spanish football, Tan Kaiyuan was able to soak up the history of the parakeet club: “It is a club with a great cultural heritage. You just have to see how they remember Dani Jarque. His spirit sustains the fans of Espanyol and inspires the club to move forward”, says the striker. Tan Kaiyuan saw with good eyes the proposal of the white-and-blue club because of the youth culture it has: “One of the best things about the organization is that it gives options to many young people with a club card. In the short term I want to adapt to the subsidiary, the team’s game and tactics, and also the local language and culture. After that, my challenge is to reach the first team”, he says with conviction. The striker is ready to succeed in Barcelona, where he would also like to obtain an academic degree, despite the scare he suffered only to land at the Airport del Prat: he was the victim of a theft but soon after managed to recover his belongings that had been stolen from him. One more obstacle in the way of this Chinese who wants to follow in Wu Lei’s footsteps.