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Zhu blogs of threat to sell Shenhua st

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Shanghai Shenhua's chief investor Zhu Jun is claiming that he has lost interest in the club and is even considering selling his prized asset.

Zhu Jun. [File photo]

"I have lost my interest in soccer," Zhu wrote on his microblog. "Cost price! ... it's on sale for 400 million."

Zhu has invested 600 million yuan (US$95.4 million) on Shenhua since 2007.

The 45-year-old Zhu also deleted previous posts on Didier Drogba, suggesting that the club's bid to add the Chelsea striker to Shenhua's attacking frontline may be off. A scheduled trip by Drogba's wife this weekend was also abruptly cancelled.

Speculation remains about Zhu's sudden change of attitude but it appears it has less to do with Shenhua's on-pitch performance than about his status as a shareholder of the club.

When Zhu bought into the club in 2007, he was promised 70 percent of the shares from 28.5 percent if he invested more than 150 million yuan in the following two years. But reports say that while Zhu kept his part of the bargain his stake in the club did not materialize.

It was not the first time that Zhu, who made his money in online games, hinted at walking away.

Last year, he had expressed similar thoughts after Shenhua finished 11th in the Chinese Super League and fans stayed away from the games, but the support of Shanghai sports officials gave him confidence, he had said.

Shenhua has spent more than 146 million yuan this season to rope in Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and coach Jean Tigana from France besides other imports. The figure does not include Anelka's salary.

Zhu also blogged that he has been seeing a "psychiatrist friend".

"I met my psychiatrist friend for two days and I learnt that many people visit a psychiatrist not only for advice but to seek their inner voice, however irrational it may be," Zhu posted on his microblog at Sina.com on Wednesday.

A cartoon of a smiling cat and a dog with a quote: "Life is all about laughing at others and being laughed at", suggested his introspective mood.

Shenhua, which has 4 points from 3 games, will take on defending CSL champion Guangzhou Evergrande at the Hongkou Football Stadium tonight. It will also be the first time that CSL's two big-name imports will come face-to-face against each other - Anelka and Argentinian Dario Conca.

Shenhua coach Tigana yesterday said he had not heard anything about Zhu pulling out of the club.

"I have not heard anything about it. All I care about is tomorrow's game," Tigana told reporters. "I talked to my boss last week and he never mentioned anything about it."

Shenhua's starting central defender Dai Lin will miss the game after a head injury from the last game against Guanzhou R&F.