Wu also holds the record for being the youngest player to have appeared in a Chinese professional league match, aged 14 years and 287 days.

[5] Wu started his football career playing for third-tier side Shanghai Port, making his debut for the club on 2 September 2006 in a 5–3 loss against Yunnan Lijiang Dongba, making him the youngest ever player to play professional Chinese football aged 14 years and 287 days.

[15] On 28 January 2019, Wu transferred to La Liga side RCD Espanyol for a reported fee of €2 million,[16] signing a three-year contract with an option for an additional year.

[17] He made his debut for the club on 3 February 2019 in a 2–2 draw against Villarreal, coming on as a substitute for his teammate, Dídac Vilà in the 77th minute.

On 18 May 2019, Wu scored his third goal for the club in a 2–0 win against Real Sociedad, securing Espanyol's spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League qualifying stages.

[citation needed] On 25 July 2019, Wu made his UEFA Europa League debut in the qualifying rounds in a 4–0 win against Stjarnan, coming on as a substitute for Esteban Granero.

[25] The club suffered relegation at the end of 2019–20 La Liga but made an immediate return in the following year after winning the 2020–21 Segunda División.

On 29 October 2023, Wu won his second league title with Shanghai Port after a 1-1 home draw against direct competitor Shandong Taishan.

[32] His impressive goalscoring performances saw him called up to the Chinese national team for the 2010 East Asian Football Championship, making his debut on 14 February 2010 in a 2–0 win against Hong Kong.

[33] Several months later, Wu returned to the under-20 national team for the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship and he played in four games and score two goals while he aided China to the quarterfinals by the end of the tournament.

[35] On 8 October 2021, Wu scored twice in a 3–2 win against Vietnam in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, including heading in an injury time winner.

[39] Wu's performances during the 2013 Copa del Sol caught the eye of Molde FK's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Solskjær commented on Wu's footballing prowess, stating, "He is a good striker; if he moves to Molde, I think he can improve well enough to play for an English Premiership side in a year.

"[40] Wu's transfer from Shanghai SIPG to La Liga side Espanyol on 28 January 2019 drew widespread attention amongst Chinese media outlets.