Ulsan Hyundai striker Júnior Negrão heads to Chinese Super League

Last year's K League 1 top scorer Júnior Negrão is on the verge of leaving Ulsan Hyundai to join newly-promoted Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai.

Júnior spent three years with Ulsan having joined from Daegu FC in 2017. The 'Smiling Assassin' notched up a remarkable 67 goals in 94 league appearances with the the east coast club, including a record-breaking 26 goals in 27 games in last year's curtailed K League 1 campaign.

Having been part of the Ulsan team that finished league runners-up two years in a row, Júnior finally got to lift some silverware last month when his brace in the Asian Champions League Final win over Persepolis of Iran helped Ulsan to their first continental title since 2012.

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Although negotiations seemed to be underway last week, the club never officially offered a new contract. It appears new manager Hong Myung-bo has made the bold decision to let the Brazilian goal machine leave in order to free up a foreign player spot as he looks to put his stamp on the Horangi squad.

Hong has talked about building a younger, more dynamic team capable of ending Ulsan's domestic title drought. Júnior is the latest on a list of experienced players that are likely to be trimmed from the Ulsan squad this month, a list that includes Korean players Park Joo-ho, Lee Keun-ho and club captain Shin Jin-ho.

Changchun Yatai who won promotion to the Chinese Super League last season after two years in the second flight. The Jilin Province-based club have just one CSL title to their name from back in 2007. 

Júnior will line up alongside fellow countryman Serginho who also scored in an ACL Final against Persepolis; the 25-year-old attacking midfielder won Asian club football's biggest prize with Kashima Antlers in 2018.