With Chinese football clubs spending over 400 million US dollars on new players during the off-season, the 2017 Chinese Super League promises to be eagerly anticipated both at home and abroad. The new season is set to kick off this weekend on March 4, and in a special four-part preview series, CGTN takes a look at this year’s teams and everything you need to know about them.

2016 finishing position: Champions

The team everyone wants to beat, Evergrande will be looking to win their seventh consecutive CSL title. 2002 World Cup-winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has elected to keep faith with the players that took the 2016 title, with minimal additions ahead of the new season. But with key rivals having spent big, and the Asian Champions League representing an added distraction, can Evergrande stay ahead of the chasing pack?

Star players: Brazilian Ricardo Goulart clearly seems to enjoy life in southern China, with the free-scoring striker being awarded the CSL best player award for the last two seasons. His compatriots Paulinho and Alan Carvalho also played a key role in Evergrande’s triumph last season, with goals and assists aplenty. The Guangzhou club also has a solid defence expertly marshalled by local boy Zhang Linpeng, a favourite of national team manager Marcello Lippi.

2016 finishing position: 6th

Guangzhou’s other team will be looking to build on an encouraging 2016 season where they were widely considered to have punched above their weight. Talented manager Dragan Stojkovic is a protégé of Arsene Wenger, and has been touted as a possible successor to the Frenchman when he eventually leaves English Premier League outfit Arsenal. 

Star players: When R&F play well, there’s a good chance diminutive playmaker Renatinho is pulling the strings. The tricky Brazilian has a reputation for the spectacular, and he will be hoping to form a fruitful partnership with striker Xiao Zhi. In defence, Jiang Zhipeng is a regular in the Chinese national team, and has been a model of consistency over the past few seasons.

2016 finishing position: 5th

The big close season story for Guo’an came behind the scenes, with the news that the Sinobo real estate group had acquired a majority stake in the club. Significant investment in the playing squad was notable by its absence, however, and new manager Jose Gonzalez will have his work cut out if Guo’an are to claim their first league title since 2009. 

Star players: Recovering from an ill-fated spell in Germany in 2015, local hero Zhang Xizhe will want to build on a promising 2016 season that saw him recalled to China’s national team. After years of unparalleled success in the Austrian league, striker Jonathan Soriano has been tempted east. The Spaniard has notably spurned big-money moves in the past, so how well will he adapt to life in China’s capital?

2016 finishing position: 12th

They build them tough up in Changchun, and Yatai must be hoping that the grit and determination needed to survive the freezing winters will rub off on their players, as the CSL’s most northerly club seeks to avoid falling into the second tier. New faces for 2017 include Hungarian schemer Szabolcs Huszti and Brazilian journeyman Marinho, though they may find their playing time restricted by tighter CSL regulations on foreign players.

Star players: Veteran club captain Zhang Xiaofei is a Yatai lifer, having been at the club for over 15 years, and his versatility and leadership will prove all-important. Elsewhere, Yatai are pinning their goalscoring hopes on Nigerian hotshoe Odion Ighalo, newly arrived from English Premier League club Watford at a cost of 24 million US dollars.