Yesterday, February 24th, the League of Legends community in China was abuzz with rumors that Bin had stopped participating in scrims with Suning players, opting instead to climb the solo queue ladder. This strange move has raised many questions about whether there are internal issues within SN.
As of now, there have been numerous rumors regarding Suning’s potential sale of Bin in the upcoming summer transfer window, citing the team’s significant financial difficulties due to losses suffered by the parent company.
However, these rumors lack convincing evidence. First of all, Bin is currently an irreplaceable pillar at Suning. Moreover, if the reports about SN’s dire financial situation are true, then the rumors about them selling their slot to Weibo could also be quite plausible.
In this case, Weibo would certainly offer a higher price if SN’s lineup remains unchanged. Setting aside their poor performance in the 2021 LPL Spring tournament, it is clear that all four of Suning’s positions (except Support) are currently top stars in the league. Therefore, it would be a mistake for SN to sell Bin, only to see the slot they sell to Weibo decrease in value.
Of course, there is a “worst-case scenario” that people might consider, which is Bin proactively leaving SN. Currently, the roommate of SofM is a highly sought-after name among many teams, and given SN’s current situation, if Bin wants to leave to seek new horizons, no one can blame him.
Another related piece of information concerning Suning is that Jiangsu F.C., formerly known as Jiangsu Suning F.C., one of the sports organizations owned by the Suning group, is facing the risk of dissolution despite recently winning the championship of the Chinese Super League 2020.
Jiangsu F.C. is also one of the names categorized under “non-essential business activities that need to be cut” by the Suning group. It is reported that this club currently owes 500 million CNY (approximately 63.8 million USD) in salaries, due to an unbalanced star acquisition policy that has led the team into financial crisis.
In fact, even Inter Milan – the team currently with a strong chance of winning the Serie A championship, is said to be under consideration for divestment by Suning. This illustrates the bleak financial situation of the Suning parent company, which certainly affects their League of Legends team as well.
The acquisition of the Suning League of Legends team by Weibo seems only a matter of time. However, retaining the current lineup (and adding new personnel) would be considered positive news for SN fans. If any of the three core names, Bin, Angel, and SofM, are sold, the risk of “disaster” is quite high, as this would not only weaken Suning but also directly bolster their opponents in the LPL, specifically any team that secures Bin’s signature.