Zexiang Yang

Yang Zexiang's route to Shanghai Shenhua ran through a club that ceased to exist. Released after Dalian Transcendence's dissolution in 2018, the right-back signed for the club on a free transfer and scored once in 28 appearances that season, before moving on to Dalian Pro without adding a single appearance there. Three years passed between clubs before he found a settled role.

He joined Shanghai Shenhua as a free agent in April 2021 but was sent out immediately on loan to Chengdu Rongcheng, where nine appearances helped the club win promotion to the Chinese Super League. He returned to Shenhua in January 2022 and made his debut for the club that August against Changchun Yatai. Since then he has become a regular fixture at the back, passing 53 appearances and scoring twice.

Shenhua's recent honours list carries his name: the Chinese FA Cup in 2023 and the Chinese FA Super Cup in both 2024 and 2025. His progress at club level was matched by international recognition — he made his debut for the China national team on 11 June 2024 against South Korea in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, and had earned eight caps by the middle of 2025.

Every move of his career, from the early loan at Baoding Yingli ETS through to his current spell at Shenhua, has come as a free transfer or a loan, with no fee ever reported for his signature.