Li Zhi

Li Zhi arrived at Heilongjiang Lava Spring in February 2026 after a career built almost entirely on loans and returns. His path through Chinese football has rarely run in a straight line: he left Suzhou Dongwu for Chengdu Rongcheng in 2021, was loaned out to Kunshan a year later, then returned to Chengdu.

The Kunshan loan proved the most productive spell of that stretch. He made 28 appearances there in 2022 as the club won the Chinese Football League 1 title.

A left-footed full-back, Li Zhi operates on the left side of defence and has also been used as a left wing-back, a role suited to a player comfortable getting forward from deep. Goals have been rare across his career, but not entirely absent: he scored twice in his 15 appearances for Suzhou Dongwu.

His move to Heilongjiang has already yielded regular football, with 19 appearances and a goal in his first months at the club. The switch also came against a backdrop of upheaval at the club itself, which has undergone rebranding and relocation in recent years — a reminder that in Chinese football, stability off the pitch is not something even an established defender can take for granted.