*This content was translated by AI.
While South Korean soccer has bowed its head after suffering the all-time tragedy at the Asian Cup, Chinese soccer has produced players who have qualified for the English Premier League (EPL), and there are mixed feelings. Wolverhampton Wanderers are on the verge of recruiting Xu Bin (22, Qingdao West Coast), the captain of China's U-23 national team.
"Wolverhampton is close to signing a contract with Chinese defensive midfielder Xu Bin," British media "Team Talk" reported on the 29th (Korea time), adding, "This recruitment is an investment for the future of Wolverhampton, who is having a chaotic season."
Shubin reportedly joins Wolverhampton as a free agent. Xu Bin recently served as the captain of the Chinese national team at the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, leading the team to a historic runner-up finish.
Although Shubin lost 0-4 to Japan in the final, he proved his outstanding potential by starting five out of six games during the tournament, with 10 interceptions and a 73% pass success rate, the media said.
Shubin is known to have Casemiro (Manchester United) and Rodri (Manchester City) as idols. The media analyzed, "Shubin is a type that focuses on defensive discipline and calmness rather than aggressive threats," adding, "I look forward to a great future with solid basic skills."
However, it is expected that it will be difficult to step on the EPL stage right away. This is because the number of A matches, which is the standard for issuing work visas, is insufficient. "Wolverhampton will sign Xu Vin and send him on loan to the English Championship (division 2) or other European clubs for the rest of the season," Team Talk said. "Wolverhampton, owned by Chinese company Pushing Group, is collecting prospects from a long-term perspective in a situation where relegation is likely."
Although China missed the U-23 Asian Cup, it has rewritten its soccer history. China, which had previously been unable to even pass the group stage, achieved its first-ever finals with a scoreless streak of five consecutive games. In particular, in the semifinals, he won 3-0 over Vietnam, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, and gained momentum.
On the other hand, Korean soccer experienced an indelible disgrace. In the semifinals of the tournament, South Korea was helplessly defeated by Japan's U-21 national team, which is composed of players two years younger than them. Then, in the 3rd and 4th place games, they drew 2-2 with Vietnam and lost (6-7) after a penalty shootout.
After losing to Uzbekistan in the group stage, South Korea, which was caught up by a Southeast Asian team that was considered a step lower, packed with no income in this tournament, with a shock comparable to its failure to advance to the Olympics. While Korea returned empty-handed, China was second place and faced a double celebration of its prospects entering the EPL.
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*This content was translated by AI.
