September 9: Another Defeat! Relegation Countdown Begins as Qingdao Hainiu Player Market May Open

Qingdao Hainiu suffered another defeat at Suoyu Bay Football Stadium. When the final whistle blew, not a single figure on the substitutes' bench stood up. It was a silent cry and a heavy sense of helplessness. On the night of September 5, Dalian Yingbo defeated Qingdao Hainiu 2-1. The Hainiu players walked silently toward the away-team tunnel with their heads down, deliberately avoiding any attention from the sidelines.

This defeat left Qingdao Hainiu with a painful nine-game losing streak in this season's league campaign.

More striking are the cold numbers on the table. After 26 league rounds, Hainiu have earned only 14 points and sit at the bottom of the standings. Their rivals ahead, such as Wuhan Three Towns with 19 points after 24 matches and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger with 20 points after 24 matches, have similar schedules, but Hainiu have played two more games and still trail the safety zone by six points. In the remaining four rounds, Hainiu will host Beijing Guoan, Liaoning Tieren and Shenzhen Peng City, while facing Chongqing Tonglianglong away.

Even if Qingdao Hainiu win all four remaining matches, their maximum points total would only reach 26. Wuhan Three Towns and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger each still have one or two unplayed matches. From a mathematical perspective, Hainiu's hopes of avoiding relegation have almost disappeared.

Relegation often means a major reshuffle of a squad. At Qingdao Hainiu, quality players capable of competing immediately in the Chinese Super League would naturally become targets for other clubs. Among them, 23-year-old Yanbian-born player Kim Yong-ho is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy overlooked talents.

Kim Yong-ho was born in May 2003. He is 168 centimeters tall and weighs 60 kilograms. The Yanbian Korean player received his early football training at Yanji Sports School.

In July 2021, 18-year-old Kim Yong-ho traveled alone to Spain carrying his football dream. He joined the B team of CD Arnedo and later moved up to the first team, competing in Spain's fifth and fourth tiers. During his three years abroad, he was not merely a half-finished prospect sitting on the bench.

On July 12, 2024, Kim Yong-ho returned to China on a free transfer and joined Qingdao Hainiu. At the time, his transfer value was only 50,000 euros, a minimal investment in the transfer market.

This season has become the starting point of Kim Yong-ho's career breakthrough.

On April 26, in Qingdao Hainiu's match against Shandong Taishan, Kim Yong-ho scored a crucial goal. Just one week later, on May 2, he scored again against Shanghai Port. Even more impressively, on May 6 against Wuhan Three Towns, he scored in three consecutive league matches.

A 23-year-old winger from a team at the bottom of the league scoring against Chinese Super League powerhouses in three straight matches says a lot by itself.

The numbers tell the story. According to statistics up to July 19, Kim Yong-ho made 17 CSL appearances this season, starting 14 times, with three goals and two assists. He completed 37 attempted dribbles with 21 successful ones, recorded 18 tackles and 10 interceptions defensively, and was fouled 16 times. He also received four yellow cards and committed 31 fouls.

A player only 168 centimeters tall producing 18 tackles and 10 interceptions in the highly physical environment of the CSL relies on his low center of gravity and relentless running ability.

Beijing Guoan's changes in the 2026 season will exceed many fans' expectations.

New sporting director Ma Yongming boldly removed the traditional general manager system and established a European-style dual-director structure. The head coach position was taken by Scottish coach Montgomery. He favors 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-3 formations, emphasizing high pressing and quick transitions, a style fans have even jokingly called a "poor man's Liverpool approach."

Montgomery's tactical system places new and higher demands on wide players: they must not only create breakthroughs in attack but also quickly retreat after losing possession and participate actively in defense. When full-backs push forward, wide midfielders must contribute in both attack and defense.

This season, Guoan have already lost Wang Ziming and Fang Hao, creating a clear weakness in wide-area attacking impact. Reports say the club plans to focus its limited foreign-player slots and a 120 million yuan transfer budget during the winter window on wingers and defensive midfielders, aiming to improve speed and penetration in midfield and attack.

Kim Yong-ho's characteristics appear almost tailor-made for this system: excellent acceleration, a low center of gravity and strong running ability. He can play as an attacking midfielder or right midfielder and can also operate wide as a dangerous attacking outlet.

His 21 successful dribbles this season clearly show his one-on-one ability to break defensive lines. His 18 tackles and 10 interceptions also demonstrate his ability to recover defensively. Three goals and two assists would make him a qualified rotation player even at a CSL title contender.

His age is another attraction. At 23, with overseas experience and a successful call-up to the U22 national team in May, he still has significant room for growth and future improvement.

One fact needs clarification. Public information shows Kim Yong-ho's contract expires on December 31, 2026. However, Qingdao Hainiu announced on February 27, 2026 that Kim Yong-ho, Song Wenjie, Liu Jiashan and Jin Yangyang had all completed contract extensions.

In other words, Qingdao Hainiu hold a valid contract for Kim Yong-ho. This is not a situation where the club must sell him cheaply because his contract is about to expire.

This fact makes Beijing Guoan's pursuit of Kim Yong-ho considerably more difficult. If Guoan want him, they cannot simply wait for his contract to expire and sign him as a free agent; they must negotiate directly with Qingdao Hainiu in the transfer market.

However, the situation appears more complicated. Local Shandong media recently reported that Shandong Taishan are considering a package exchange involving two academy players for Kim Yong-ho.

In a competitive environment, Kim Yong-ho's value has been recognized by several domestic clubs. If Qingdao Hainiu are relegated, the player market will open further and the transfer battle for Kim Yong-ho will intensify. Beijing Guoan's window for action will not be long.

Of course, Kim Yong-ho is not a perfect solution. His 168-centimeter height puts him at a natural disadvantage in aerial duels. His four yellow cards and 31 fouls also suggest he may sometimes be overly aggressive in defensive challenges.

Signing him may not solve all of Guoan's wide-area problems, but the weakness he can address is exactly what Guoan urgently need: attacking impact from the flanks.

A team that emphasizes pressing and quick transitions inevitably needs players who can carry the ball forward on the wing and break defensive lines one-on-one. Kim Yong-ho's 21 successful dribbles this season strongly support that requirement.

With Qingdao Hainiu's relegation almost decided, the transfer battle surrounding Kim Yong-ho will officially begin after the season ends.

Beijing Guoan's advantages are its major-club platform, the strong tactical fit between Montgomery's system and Kim Yong-ho, and the potential playing time created by the need for wing reinforcements. Their disadvantage is the need to move quickly, as Shandong Taishan have already proposed an exchange plan and other CSL clubs are watching.

If Qingdao Hainiu's contract contains a special relegation-trigger clause, Beijing Guoan could sign Kim Yong-ho at a lower cost. If such a clause does not exist, combining cash and young players to match Taishan's offer may be the more realistic approach.

Kim Yong-ho's current valuation of 150,000 euros is not a difficult figure for a club like Beijing Guoan to handle. The real test for Guoan is the speed of their decision-making.

Qingdao Hainiu's nine-game losing streak this season feels like an ending already written. However, within this bottom-ranked team, a 23-year-old player from Yanbian has pushed himself into the spotlight of the CSL transfer market with his impressive feat of scoring against strong teams in three consecutive matches.