Golden Ball winner from Hai Duong, Nguyen Hoang Duc, received a quote of 30 billion VND?

30 billion dong bribe and relegated to first division?

The future of the 2023 Vietnamese Golden Ball Nguyen Hoang Duc has received special attention, as recently there have been many rumors about this midfielder leaving The Cong Viettel to join a new team with the most expensive contract in the history of Vietnamese football: 30 billion VND/3 years.

However, this information is quite vague because Hoang Duc is currently still a member of The Cong Viettel, training here, preparing for the new season.

Recently, The Cong Viettel sent out signals that they are ready to let Hoang Duc leave 6 months early (the contract expires in January 2025), however, no team has officially announced their willingness to compensate for the contract and recruit Hoang Duc.

Hanoi FC has just signed a contract extension with Tuan Hai, Nam Dinh has Tuan Anh for 3 seasons, and Hanoi Police convinced Quang Hai to stay until 2027, so it is almost impossible for these teams to spend 30 billion to attract the 2023 Vietnamese Golden Ball.

Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club is the most talked about team in the Hoang Duc deal. However, if he agrees to join this team, the player from Hai Duong must accept playing in the first division and be away from home for a long time.

It is not impossible that Hoang Duc will change his mind at the last minute and continue to stay at The Cong Viettel. The midfielder born in 1998 can make a decision in the next few days, when the 2024/25 season is approaching.

First Division in chaos because of... money

Immediately after being promoted to the first division in 2024/25, Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club has made a huge investment in personnel. On the coaching bench, this team invited the former assistant of Mr. Philippe Troussier - coach Nguyen Viet Thang as captain.

Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club "opened the coffers" to buy more players than a V-League team. Many Vietnamese players and familiar faces with many years of playing at the top level joined the rookies of the first division. Notably, Huu Tuan, Do Thanh Thinh, Tran Dinh Minh Hoang, Nguyen Van Viet, Tran Hoang Son, Dinh Thanh Binh, Le Minh Binh, Nguyen Duc Viet...

It is known that these players receive the same signing bonus as those in V-League. Especially recently, there have been many rumors about Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club spending 30 billion VND to recruit Vietnam Golden Ball Nguyen Hoang Duc for 3 years.

The strong investment of Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club is not outside the purpose of competing for a ticket to V-League next season. This team has not even stopped in the transfer market as it is still pursuing a number of billion-dollar contracts.

In addition to Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club, PVF-CAND and Binh Phuoc are also aiming for promotion to the V-League. Last season, PVF-CAND lost to Ha Tinh in the play-off, making the dream of playing in the highest league in Vietnam impossible to realize. With many U23 Vietnam players and bringing in some quality faces, PVF-CAND continues to be a candidate for the championship of the First Division next season.

Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc bought a series of new players who used to play in the V-League such as goalkeeper Pham Huu Nghia, Mac Duc Viet Anh, Huynh Tan Sinh, Sam Ngoc Duc, Nguyen Vu Hoang Duong, Ho Sy Giap... showing their determination to compete for a promotion ticket to the First Division 2024/25.

The fact that Ho Chi Minh City Youth Club and Binh Phuoc are strong-handed has made many coaches in V-League exclaim:"It's hard to find and buy players. The price of first-class players is 1-2 billion, so V-League teams are very miserable because of this competition. The 'market' is constantly inflated in price."

On the other hand, some First Division teams are at risk of leaving the tournament. In a dispatch sent on July 30, VPF announced the postponement of the draw for the First Division and the 2024/25 National Cup.

According to the investigation, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Football Joint Stock Company, the governing body of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, sent a dispatch to the Provincial People's Committee regarding the club not participating in the 2024/25 season due to financial difficulties.

Similarly, Dinh Huong Phu Nhuan, Long An and Dong Nai clubs also left open the possibility of participating in the 2024/25 National First Division. In case a team withdraws from the tournament, VPF must come up with a solution, especially the match schedule.

According to plan, the 2024/25 First Division will start in September 2024, with 12 participating teams, with 1 promotion to play in the V-League and 1 relegation.