Football
 

Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung will come to Ninh Bình FC under a massive five-season contract. Photos courtesy of Ninh Bình FC

HÀ NỘI — Ninh Bình FC has made history by signing Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung, the most expensive overseas Vietnamese (OV) football player ever signed to play in Việt Nam.

The club announced their newest member on July 27, stating: "Welcome overseas Vietnamese midfielder Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung to Ninh Bình FC.

"Ninh Bình FC have officially completed a five-year contract with talented young midfielder Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung from Bulgarian club Slavia Sofia."

The exact details of the contract were not revealed, but based on the transfer value of 400,000 euros (US$469,000) listed on transfermarkt.com, he is the most expensive OV player signed to date.

His contract price is much higher than that of many core players on the national team, such as midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải (375,000 euros), striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh (350,000 euros), defender Đỗ Duy Mạnh (325,000 euros), and midfielder Nguyễn Hoàng Đức (250,000 euros). 

At 20 years old, Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung was a regular player for Bulgarian team Slavia Sofia before being transferred to Ninh Bình. -- Photo courtesy of Ninh Bình FC

Slavia Sofia President Ventseslav Stefanov confirmed the news and expressed his surprise with the speed of the transfer.

He said the deal was done, and that something had happened that he had never seen before in his nearly 30 years in football: the Vietnamese club paid in full right after the contract was signed. This almost never happens in Europe, he noted.

“The negotiations were fast. We are satisfied with the transfer fee and the player is pleased with what he will receive,” Stefanov said.

The 20-year-old centre midfielder, known in Europe as Chung Nguyen Do, performed impressively in the top tier of the Bulgarian football league system, the First League. 

He was also a regular member of Bulgary's U17, U19 and U20 national squads. 

A tenacious and hard-working midfielder often compared to N'Golo Kante, Chung was formerly scouted by the famous Barcelona FC during his youth in 2022, though a deal never materialised.

Born in Sofia to Vietnamese parents, Chung began his football career aged six in the CSKA Sofia academy before moving to Slavia Sofia. He started as a goalkeeper before switching to midfielder because he wanted to enjoy the game more.

In January 2023 he was promoted to the first team and joined the winter camp. Chung made his professional debut in a league match against Pirin Blagoevgrad.

He played 62 matches for Slavia Sofia in all tournaments and competed in eight matches for the Bulgarian U21 side.

In the 2024-25 season he played 33 matches, scored two goals and assisted one, which helped him enter the top three finalists for Bulgaria's Best Young Player award.

With a playing style that focuses on controlling, defending and recovering the ball, Chung advanced to the top five young players with the most interceptions in European leagues (aside from the top five national championships).

He was also praised for his quick and technically sound defensive style as well as his sharp tactical thinking. His ability to launch attacks and to recover the ball and score was also highly valued by the team. 

Đỗ Nguyễn Thành Chung (left) played for different Bulgarian youth squads. -- Photo of Thành Chung

According to Ninh Bình, these factors were key in drawing the attention of the Vietnamese club's experts, who believe that Chung would be a perfect complement to their current midfielder Hoàng Đức, a master of attacking and organising the game.

Ninh Bình were one of three Vietnamese clubs interested in Chung. The two others were HCM City and Thể Công-Viettel. 

Ninh Bình topped V.League 2, the second tier division, this season. They earned a spot in the V.League 1 for next season, which will begin next month.

Before Chung, many notable players such as Đức Chiến, Dụng Quang Nho, Bảo Toàn, Gustavo Henrique, Alfredo Pedraza and Victor Morales also played for Ninh Bình.

Since he has never played for Bulgary's national senior team, with his move to Việt Nam, Chung is eligible to play for the Vietnamese national squad.

If he is scouted by head coach Kim Sang-sik and his assistant, Chung could play for Việt Nam in the 2026 Asian U23 championship qualifiers, the 33rd SEA Games or the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. 

A source from Slavia Sofia said one of the main reasons for this deal was Ninh Bình's desire to bring Chung home to prepare for his long-term contributions to Vietnamese football. This move was seen as an important step in both his professionalism and personal development.

Slavia Sofia thanked Chung for his time and contributions to the club, and wished him success with his new team. VNS