Widzew Łódź announced on its official website on Friday that the club has signed Norwegian defender Christopher Cheng, who is of Hong Kong-Chinese descent from Sandefjord.

According to Widzew Łódź's official statement, Christopher has signed on a long-term four-year deal which runs until the summer of 2029.

After completing his transfer procedures, Christopher, who was interviewed by the Widzew Łódź official website for the first time, said: "I am an energetic and fast player who enjoys dribbling and fighting for the team. Last season, I not only showcased my skills but also demonstrated my fighting spirit, which helped the team win games."

"This is a completely new experience for me, but I think it's time to take the next step. Widzew Łódź's offer was very attractive to me, so I accepted. I am ready."

With this transfer, Christopher will become the second player of Chinese descent in the history of the Polish Ekstraklasa.

The last time a player of Chinese descent played in the league was in the 2010/11 season, when former Manchester United player Dong Fangzhuo played there.

It's also worth mentioning that although he is of Chinese descent, there are currently no indications that Christopher will be naturalized as a Hong Kong international player. However, since he has never represented Norway at any level of the national team, this possibility cannot be ruled out.

About Christopher Cheng

The 24-year-old Christopher was born on October 27, 2001, in Oslo, the capital of Norway. He is 1.72 meters tall and primarily plays as a left wing-back, but can also play as a left midfielder or left winger. His father is of Hong Kong-Chinese descent.

Christopher joined Stabæk's youth academy at the age of 11 and began playing for their reserve team in 2018. After being promoted to the first-team in 2020, he was loaned-out to Nottoden and Strømmen.

After his contract expired in March 2022, Christopher permanently transferred to Strømmen as a free agent.

The following July, Christopher moved to Arundal for €200,000, where his impressive performances attracted the attention of several Norwegian top-flight clubs.

In February 2024, Christopher joined Sandefjord for €1 million.

During his near three-year spell with Sandefjord, Christopher made 54 appearances for the Norwegian Eliteserien club in all competitions, scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists, helping the club successfully avoid relegation.