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On the morning of July 12, China Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao announced via its official Weibo account that the team’s former player, Brazilian striker Muriqui, has officially returned to the club. He is joining on a free transfer basis for a period of six months, with the club having the right to extend his contract upon its expiration. The following is an official announcement from Evergrande: On the morning of July 12, 2017 (evening of July 11 in Brazil time), Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Football Club officially announced that it had signed a contract with the club’s legendary player Muriqui (full name: Luiz Guilherme da Conceição Silva). Muriqui returned to the team as a free agent; the contract is valid for six months, and the club has the right to renew it upon its expiration. Murić will wear the No. 30 jersey and, after passing the medical examination, fly directly to Guangzhou today to join the team. Muric, 31 years old, played for Guangzhou Evergrande from June 2010 to July 2014; over those four years he appeared in 133 matches for the team, scoring 77 goals and providing 37 assists. He made significant contributions by helping the team win the 2010 China League One championship, three consecutive Chinese Super League titles from 2011 to 2013, the FA Cup and Super Cup in 2012, as well as the first AFC Champions League title in 2013. He has successively been awarded titles such as China Super League Player of the Year, China Super League Top Scorer, AFC Champions League Player of the Year, AFC Champions League Top Scorer, and FIFA Best Foreign Player. He is regarded as a legendary player in the history of the team by fans everywhere. As the summer transfer window was about to close, head coach Scolari, taking into account all aspects of the team’s current situation and aiming to secure a strong squad of foreign players in order to achieve the goal of winning four titles this season, suggested to the club that they sign Muric, who is capable of playing in any position in the attacking midfield and is already very familiar with the team. Once the target for a new player was identified, the club immediately got to work on acquiring him. When Muric received an offer from his second home team, he voluntarily terminated his contract with his current club, thereby cooperating fully with the club to enable the transfer to take place on a free-transfer basis under very flexible contractual terms. We firmly believe that with his return to the Guangzhou team, Muric will repay the team and its fans with even greater enthusiasm and effort. We firmly believe that Murichi’s return will further strengthen the team’s depth in multiple attacking lines, enrich its tactical options, and help Guangzhou FC deliver more exciting matches for fans in both domestic and international competitions in the future.