Hanoi FC gears up for Champions League with 7 foreign players

In group J of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League, Hanoi will face Japan’s Urawa Reds, South Korea’s Pohang Steelers and Wuhan Three Town of China.

Urawa and Pohang are considered the favorites to advance as they have won the title three times each. To be able to compete in group J, Hanoi have increased their squad power by signing high-quality foreign players.

The capital club kept four foreign players in the last season, including Brazilian striker Caion, Serbian midfielder Milan Jevtovic, Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Silva and Kyrgyzstan national team captain Mirlain Murzayev.

In just over a week, Hanoi have signed three more foreign players. The first two can play as a defensive midfielder and center-back – Australia’s Brandon Wilson and France’s Damien Le Tallec.

According to football site Transfermarkt, Wilson is valued at $160,000 and Tallec is worth $639,000.

The third new signing is Cameroon national striker Joel Tagueu. Hanoi paid $852,000 to buy Tagueu from Portuguese club CS Maritimo, according to Transfermarkt.

In this season, Asian Football Confederation allows clubs to use a maximum of six foreign players, including an Asian player, in a game.