The Shanghai Shenhua football club is planning to persuade Chelsea striker Didier Driogba to join the club
The Shanghai Shenhua football club is planning to persuade Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to join the club.
The move comes after French striker Nicholas Anelka quit Chelsea to join Shanghai Shenhua.
The Chinese club confirmed that Anelka would join them in January on a 175,000 pounds per week deal, but failed to elaborate on it.
"Chelsea Football Club and Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua have agreed terms for the permanent transfer of Nicolas Anelka in the January transfer window," The Daily Mail quoted a Chelsea statement, as saying.
Shenhua' move indicates that it can compete with anyone because it has financial support of French Chinese businessman Zhou Jun, who is also the club's director.
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"(Didier) Drogba, is a very excellent player. From the perspective of Chinese football, if these big-name players, these excellent players, are willing to come to China, we are willing to have warm negotiations and communications with them," Jun said.
"A lot of clubs are chasing Drogba. From our perspective... we also have to see what Drogba wants. So from our club's perspective, we have this to say - If he is willing to come, we will definitely welcome him," he added.
Drogba has been also offered a 30 million pound deal by the Chinese club Dalian Aerbin and the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala among others.
Aerbin's general manager Li Ming said Drogba's response on the offer was awaited, and added that the club would approach former French striker David Trezeguet if Drogba rejected the deal.
But, Chelsea is reportedly reluctant to offer Drogba more than a year's extension, as he is already 34.
Chelsea is preparing to slash even more big players from his squad in January, which is likely to include Salomon Kalou, Jose Bosingwa, Paulo Ferreira and Frank Lampard.
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