Yukun Signs Bunyamin, Investing Millions in Compensation for the Future

Written by Zuo Rui On the afternoon of the 13th, Evergrande Football School and Yunnan Yukun Club successively confirmed the deal, finalizing the transfer of player Bunyamin. This marked Yukun’s last recruitment of the Year of the Snake, securing the 17-year-old rising star.

As a newcomer in the 2025 season, Yukun solidified its foothold in the Chinese Super League by finishing eighth. Facing the challenges of the 2026 season, Yukun has set more ambitious goals, appointing Spaniard Jordi as the new head coach and announcing the addition of ten strong players on January 5th. The new signings include experienced Brazilian foreign players like Cleber and Caio, as well as national-level domestic players such as Xu Xin, Shi Ke, and Deng Hanwen.

Following the release of the second batch of anti-corruption penalties by the Chinese Football Association on January 29th, nine Chinese Super League clubs involved were docked 5 to 10 points and fined for the new season. Yukun, along with six other teams not implicated, gained an early advantage. With a firm ambition to qualify for the AFC Champions League within three years, Yukun is regarded by outsiders as one of the strong contenders whose plans have advanced ahead of schedule.

In terms of internal restructuring, Yukun has invested over 100 million yuan in the transfer market, achieving significant gains on paper. Externally, traditional strong teams have been impacted to varying degrees, objectively providing Yukun with greater room to advance boldly and make strategic adjustments. Jordi and every player under his management are fully aware of this situation.

It is understood that Bunyamin, who rose to prominence at a young age, had already come into Yukun’s talent scouting radar last year. This young player from Tacheng, Ili Prefecture, Xinjiang, was selected for various national teams from U15 to U18 during his time at Evergrande Football School, even skipping age groups to join the U19 and U22 national teams. Last year, when representing Guangdong at the Greater Bay Area National Games, Yukun began communication with Evergrande Football School and the player himself. After prolonged efforts, all three parties reached a consensus and finalized the deal.

As one of Yukun’s first-team recruitment targets, 17-year-old Bunyamin will be the youngest player under Jordi’s command and one of the earliest players from Evergrande Football School’s 2008 age group to enter the Chinese Super League. His father is very pleased, seeing this as a “brand new start” for Bunyamin’s professional career, hoping he continues to work hard and lives up to the training from the football school, the club’s trust, and his own passion for football.

With the Year of the Horse approaching, the young Xinjiang talent brings fresh energy to Yukun, the new Chinese Super League team. The club’s announcement expressed high expectations, “firmly believing” that Bunyamin’s arrival will “strengthen the team’s depth, optimize the age structure, and significantly enhance the overall team strength.”

Yukun, established only four years ago, has made remarkable progress from the Chinese Champions League to the Chinese Super League despite its relatively shallow youth training foundation. To acquire Bunyamin, who excels in wing attacks and has no prior professional contract, Yukun paid Evergrande Football School a compensation of one million yuan and also agreed on a secondary transfer revenue sharing deal.

Bunyamin’s case shows that ambitious Yukun is not rushing blindly but focusing on the long term and investing in the future. While continuing to promote the team’s localization and youth development, and committing to persistent youth training in Yunnan, they also leverage the efforts of other youth training institutions, hoping more young players will join and bring new momentum to the club’s growth.

Up to Bunyamin’s signing, Yukun has recruited 11 players, mostly established key figures, alongside young talents like Fernando and Bunyamin. From warm-up matches during winter training in Yuxi and Dubai, Fernando is likely to be a rotation option for the striker position. After obtaining approval from Evergrande Football School, Bunyamin also trained with the team in Yuxi for five days. Head coach Jordi has expressed recognition of his skills and potential.

Before heading to Dubai, Yukun played two high-quality friendly matches in Kunming and Yuxi against Wuhan Three Towns and the North Korean team. Jordi’s ground passing and control tactics were consistently implemented, though there remains room for improvement in the coordination and tactical execution on the left and right wings. This means Bunyamin will provide more personnel options for Jordi’s tactical plans.

According to plan, after finishing the Dubai training camp, Yukun will regroup on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Bunyamin has already been notified by his new club and will return on time. Whether Bunyamin will appear in Yukun’s new 4-3-3 formation next season depends on his effort and Jordi’s decisions. (Reporter Wang Wei also contributed to this article)