Dinh Bac was bought by a Chinese club for 10 billion VND, prompting Chinese netizens to mock the price as too high.

Recently, Chinese news sites 163 and Sohu simultaneously reported that Guangxi Hengchen FC is aggressively pursuing young Vietnamese football star Dinh Bac with a huge sum of money, sparking a fierce wave of controversy among Chinese football fans.

The ambitions of China's "newly rich"

Guangxi Hengchen, a newly promoted team to China League One (China's first division), is being hailed as a "second Guangzhou Evergrande". With substantial financial resources and ambitions to soon compete in the top tier of the China Super League, the team is not hesitating to spend money on building its squad.

Their number one target is striker Nguyen Dinh Bac. According to Chinese media sources, Guangxi Hengchen is willing to spend 300,000 Euros (nearly 10 billion VND) to persuade Hanoi Police FC to release him. This is considered a "smart" and strategic investment by the neighboring team.

The impact of the "Explosion" at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.

The reason Đình Bắc has received special attention is thanks to his devastating performance at the recent U23 Asian Championship. The striker, born in 2004, not only led the Vietnam U23 team to a third-place finish after a thrilling victory against South Korea U23, but also personally won the top scorer title with 4 goals and 2 assists.

In China, both experts and fans have showered the number 7 striker with praise. Many even believe that if Dinh Bac had been fully fit in the semi-final, it's uncertain whether the Chinese U23 team could have overcome Coach Kim Sang-sik's side.

On football forums, fans in China are divided into two camps:

Supporters commented: "300,000 Euros for a young top scorer is a bargain. Dinh Bac has modern technique and footballing intelligence, very different from the previous generation."

Skeptics commented: "China League One is a harsh environment; Vietnamese players need time to adapt if they don't want to be eliminated early."

Opportunities and challenges when going abroad.

Despite high expectations from coach Kim Sang-sik regarding his move abroad to improve his skills, the path to playing overseas for Vietnamese stars has never been smooth. Currently, Dinh Bac's contract with Hanoi Police FC runs until 2027. The club remains silent amidst speculation, making the 21-year-old striker's future even more uncertain.

Moving to China to play for an up-and-coming club like Guangxi Hengchen could be a good springboard both financially and professionally. Instead of chasing expensive foreign players from Europe, the trend of trusting Asian "raw talent" like Ding Bei is helping Chinese clubs optimize their budgets and future transfer value.

With his proven talent and strong media appeal, Nguyen Dinh Bac is at a major turning point in his career. Will the "spark" of the Vietnam U23 team decide to leave Vietnam to challenge himself in a "new land," or continue to contribute to the V-League? The answer will likely become clear when the transfer window opens.

Despite the somewhat harsh criticism from Chinese netizens, the irresistible appeal of the 2026 U23 Asian Championship top scorer in international negotiations is undeniable. The 10 billion VND figure for a 21-year-old talent is not just a transfer fee, but also a testament to the remarkable progress of Vietnamese youth football. Amidst conflicting opinions, whether Dinh Bac chooses to remain silent to prove his abilities or decides to try his luck in the China League One remains an intriguing mystery. A successful overseas stint would be the strongest possible response to the skepticism from the Chinese public.

Dinh Bac did not celebrate Tet in Vietnam, revealing the reason why the towel left the homeland caused sadness An Nhiên13:33:08 09/02/2026While his colleagues returned to his hometown to wrap banh chung, Dinh Bac missed the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. The truth behind it makes fans both sad and surprised because of something special.