Chinese national player Li Lei signs with Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Zurich
- Li made his professional debut with the Chinese Super League at the age of 17
- The 29-year-old has made more than 100 appearances for Beijing Guoan over the past two years
Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Zurich has announced the signing of Chinese national player Li Lei. The 29-year-old, who currently plays for Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League, will arrive in Zurich in January 2022.
It is the first major signing of a Chinese national player since Grasshopper Zurich was acquired by Hong Kong-based Champion Union HK Holdings in April last year. Champion Union is headed by Jenny Wang Jinyuan, the wife of Fosun and Wolverhampton Wanderers owner Guo Guangchang.
Li, who grew up in Qingdao in the Shandong province, made his professional career debut in the Chinese Super League for Nanchang Bayi (now called Shanghai Shenxin) at the age of just 17. He has since made more than 200 professional appearances playing for Nanchang Bayi, Henan Jianye and most recently Beijing Guoan.
Li won the Chinese Cup with Beijing Guoan in 2018 and was named among the top 11 players of the Chinese Super League in 2019.
“Playing football in Europe has been a dream since I was a child. It’s a very precious opportunity for a player of my age,” Li said. “I want to experience a new environment and see what I can do in Europe.”
After making his first appearance for the Chinese National Team in March 2019, Li is a permanent part of the National Team squad. Overall, he has played five games and contributed two assists for his National Team.
Seyi Olofinjana, technical director at Grasshopper Zurich, described Li as an “interesting player” who brings a lot of experience to the team.
“We are glad to welcome Li Lei in Zürich,” Olofinjana said. “He is an interesting player, who is part of the Chinese National Team squad and brings a lot of experience to the team. We hope that he will adapt well to Swiss football and culture, to give us a good hand in the second part of the season.”
Li is the second major signing for a European club in as many weeks after Bayern Munich snapped up teenager Liu Shaoziyang to a three-year youth development contract. The 18-year-old goalkeeper arrives at the FC Bayern Campus from partner club Wuhan Three Towns FC until 30 June 2025.
