Jiangsu sign Shanghai Shenhua’s Jiang Jiajun for $1.1 million

Jiangsu Sainty have captured the signature of China under-23 international Jiang Jiajun from Yangtze Delta rivals Shanghai Shenhua in a $1.1 million (RMB 7 million) last-minute deal.

The move was registered with the Chinese Super League just before the winter transfer window closed on Friday.

The 22-year-old Jiang has been a regular starter in the left midfield and left back positions with Shenhua since breaking into the first team under Miroslav Blazevic in 2010, since then he’s been one of the crop of youngsters who have been relied on since Zhu Jun’s infamous 2009 fire sale which saw several long-standing Shenhua first team regulars leave, including Du Wei,  Sun Xiang, Gao Lin and Mao Jianqing.

The transfer is a significant one because it involves a relatively large amount of money for a transfer between two Chinese Super League clubs and Jiang was one of Shenhua’s more promising youngsters – in seasons 2010 and 2011 he made a combined 29 appearances and scored two goals.

Jiang Jiajun, a native of Jiangsu province’s Haimen city,  joins a thriving Sainty side which enjoyed their highest-ever finish of 4th place last season. Continuity in the rest of the squad is the name of the game this year, as the Nanjing-based side welcome back strikers Cristian Dănălache of Romania, and Serbia’s  Aleksandar Jevtić and Brazilian defender Eleílson. They are joined by Serbian striker Miljan Mrdaković and Uzbekistani defender Kamoliddin Tadjiev.