Further investigation on the retention of Evergrande Football School's 2008 age group: only 6 players confirmed to stay, Bunyamin likely to join Yunnan Yukun

Reporter Wang Wei reports Yang Qiandong has applied for arbitration to obtain "free agent" status, while Evergrande Football School strives to safeguard its interests. This dispute over free agent eligibility has thrust the school and its elite 2008 age group players into the media spotlight.

In this special period, how can Evergrande Football School keep its elite players and seek a brighter future? After these highly regarded 2008 players reach 18 years old, what professional paths will they pursue? To answer these questions, this newspaper conducted a follow-up investigation.

As of February 11, among the 23 players in the Evergrande Football School 2008 age group, only 6 have confirmed they will stay, while the majority remain undecided. Among them, the not yet 18-year-old Bunyamin is expected to join Yunnan Yukun through formal negotiation via the football school, as the club has shown interest.

Currently, there are 23 players in the 2008 age group at Evergrande Football School. Recently, during the signing process with Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club (a club affiliated with Evergrande Football School), only 6 players signed contracts, including Huang Hongkun, Zhang Congxi, Li Jinglong, Luo Yiming, and Wang Weixuan. These signed players recently represented Guangdong in the 19th Guangdong-Macao Cup, helping the team win the championship.

In other words, so far, less than a quarter of the 23 players have signed with Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club. These players will participate in upcoming series of competitions arranged by the football school.

On February 11, a guardian of a player willing to sign with Evergrande Football School said: "We are willing to sign because we are grateful for the school's training over the years. We have not paid any fees and have some ability. At this critical moment, the school needs us to help build a professional platform for younger players and support the school's sustainable development. We want to contribute to future recruitment, in-school training, professional development after graduation, and serve as role models for achievements output."

In fact, many of the 2008 age group players at the football school are outstanding, with at least half having been selected for various national youth teams. Players like Liu Jiale, Bunyamin, Wang Gengrui, Ailinizar, Liu Binglin, Zhang Hongfu, Yang Qiandong, Han Yiheng, Wang Weixuan, Zhang Congxi, and Park Minjun have been repeatedly chosen for national youth squads. Recently emerging player Xia Ruizhi has also performed well in different competitions. This group has helped Evergrande Football School win runner-up in the China Youth League and the 2025 National U17 Youth Elite League championship. They will turn 18 in 2026.

Currently, the six signed players are mostly substitutes, while the remaining 17 players, including several key members, are still undecided. Yang Qiandong, who has already turned 18, is the first among them to apply for free agent arbitration.

Players who want to leave and join professional clubs face a risk: the professional leagues have transfer windows (Chinese Super League on February 27, China League One on March 6, and China League Two on March 11). If disputes are not resolved before these deadlines, players risk being unable to play, which is a situation they want to avoid. Therefore, many players and interested third-party clubs are watching the outcome of the "Yang Qiandong case" arbitration.

Bunyamin is a special player within Evergrande Football School. Having trained there for 10 years, he is nicknamed "Xiaoming." He is an outstanding player in the 2008 age group, having been selected for nearly all national youth teams of his age and even some cross-age national squads.

Last week, Bunyamin represented Guangdong in the Guangdong-Macao Cup, scoring a penalty in the first leg. His breakthroughs on the left wing posed significant threats to opponents. After the first leg in Zhongshan, Bunyamin expressed his hope to play in higher leagues like the Chinese Super League or China League One in the future. He said, "I have played at Evergrande Football School for ten years and have strong feelings for the school. Of course, the China Champions League does not meet my goals. I want to compete on a higher stage, but if our whole team stays together, I might remain to push for China League Two."

Bunyamin did not participate in the second leg of the Guangdong-Macao Cup, and his situation is becoming clearer. Evergrande Football School revealed that Bunyamin will follow the normal procedures and is likely to officially join the Chinese Super League club Yunnan Yukun. Among the other unsigned players, Liu Jiale, who has been selected for the U19 national team, and Han Yiheng have confirmed contacts with clubs in the Chinese Super League and China League One.

Evergrande Football School has established Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club and plans to participate in the 2026 China Champions League season, aiming to advance to China League Two and complete the transition to professional leagues. The main participants planned for this competition are the 2008 age group players.

However, there are external doubts about whether Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club, affiliated with Evergrande Football School, qualifies to participate in the 2026 China Champions League season. This is because the Evergrande Football School team did not reach the top four in the 2025 Guangdong Provincial Super League, thus not directly qualifying for the 2026 China Champions League.

In response, Evergrande Football School stated that Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club will use a recommendation quota from the Guangdong Football Association for the 2026 season. "Because the Guangdong Football Association was rated an A+ member this year, it received an additional recommendation slot for the China Champions League, which Guangdong Morning Star Jvli Football Club will use to participate in the 2026 season."

Evergrande Football School has already submitted the registration materials for the China Champions League to the Guangdong Football Association and is now awaiting approval from the Chinese Football Association.