ECD Espanyol’s Wu Lei on the bench during La Liga’s game against Valencia at the RCDE Stadium
Chinese footballer Wu Lei has confirmed in an interview with Phoenix.com that he is likely to return to the Chinese Super League (CSL) after three and a half seasons in the Spanish league.
Wu made 125 appearances for asianbookie ECD Espanyol in competitions including La Liga, La Liga 2 and Europa League. The striker has a total of 16 goals and six assists. He did not attend the club’s training camp in Marbella, Spain.
Asked about recent reports of his return to the Chinese Super League, Wu replied: “It’s almost done.”
Wu has a tough 2021-22 campaign. He often had to come off the bench, scoring just 2 goals and 1 assist in 27 games. His form has improved as the season draws to a close, leading some to think he may stay in Spain longer.
RCD Espanyol’s Wu Lei holds the ball in La Liga match against Granada
“In the past few years, if we just watched them play games, this winter has been the toughest for me,” Wu said. “I thought about leaving, but had no specific intention of going home or going to the rest of bk8 Europe. I don’t think I can help the team anymore. I don’t have a strong sense of involvement either.”
Wu revealed that manager Vicente Moreno asked him to try for another six months at the club. “After the manager talked to me, I felt that I should not give up. It was never easy for me to play overseas and I would regret it if I went back to my hometown. So I decided to try again. From the process of And the result, it was worth it, and I scored a goal in return.”
Wu, 31, can feel the pressure to compete for places on the team with players as young as 18 or 19. “Their youth training system is strong, but malaysia bk8 can only be seen from the inside or there are two new players every year,” Wu told Phoenix.
There have been reports of Wu leaving RCD Espanyol in almost every transfer window since he went to Spain. He understands why there are voices asking him to leave or supporting him to stay. “I had to think for myself and figure out what was the best decision for me,” he said.
An RCD Espanyol fan holds a banner with Wu Lei’s name on it during the La Liga match against RC Celta de Vigo at Barcelona’s RCDE Stadium
Going through ups and downs at RCD Espanyol, including a return to the Europa League, relegation to La Liga and then promotion back to the top flight, Wu feels attached to the club. “RCD Espanyol helped me experience European football culture. Even after I go home or retire, I follow their game. I have a sense of belonging to the club,” Wu said in an interview.
As Wu prepares to go abroad in 2019, RCD Espanyol is not the only club to approach him. Their boss, Chen Yansheng, a Chinese businessman, has many questioned whether the move is for sports or business. Wu disagrees.
“I got me when RCD Espanyol told me they had studied my three years in the CSL and I felt it upon arrival. The club has a scouting system that watches CSL games every year to analyse which players can play bk8 asianbookie in the CSL. Which level to join the team game,” Wu said.
He revealed that he wanted to prove he was worthy of RCD Espanyol not because of Chinese ownership, but because of his performance. “From my first training, I kept telling myself that I couldn’t let people look down on me or treat me as a business connection to my boss,” Wu said. “From practice and competition, the locals recognize me. They like me.”
