Zhang Aokai joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande's youth academy from China League Two club Shaanxi Daqin in 2012.[2] He was promoted to Guangzhou's first team squad by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2016.[3] Zhang made his senior debut on 30 October 2016 in a 4–0 home win against Shandong Luneng, coming on for Zheng Zhi in the 85th minute and taking over the captaincy for the rest of the match,[4] making him the first player born in the new millennium to make an appearance in any of the Chinese professional leagues.[5]
Zhang was excluded from Guangzhou's first team squad for the 2017 season. He left the club and underwent a trial with La Liga side Espanyol in the summer of 2017.[6] He signed a professional contract with Espanyol and joined Juvenil A team on 19 July 2018.[7] On 26 September 2019 Espanyol confirmed, that Aokai had joined UA Horta on loan for the rest of the season.[8] On 29 July 2020 he returned to China with Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (now known as Cangzhou Mighty Lions) initially on loan before making the move permanent.[9]
Personal life
Zhang Aokai's original name was Zhang OK; however, his given name violated the Name Registration Ordinance of the People's Republic of China; and thus, he could not apply for an identification card. Zhang's father changed his given name to Aokai, which shares a similar pronunciation with OK.[1]
