Shenhua to unveil Drogba signing
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, June 18, 2012
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A file picture dated 19 May 2012 shows Chelsea's Didier Drogba celebrating with the trophy after the team won the UEFA Champions League final between FC Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC in Munich, Germany. |
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is expected to be reunited with his former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua, which will announce his signing today, the club's top official told a local newspaper yesterday.
The signing of Drogba would be the biggest transfer in the Chinese Super League, whose second transfer window of the season opens today.
The local Xinmin Evening News reported that Drogba would sign a 2-1/2-year contract with an annual salary reaching 12 million euros (US$15 million).
"Sometimes, even I would feel it's impossible," Zhu Jun, the club's chief investor, told the newspaper yesterday alluding to media reports linking Drogba with Shenhua for months. "Welcome!"
The 34-year-old striker, who played a key role in helping Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League and the English FA Cup last season, is expected arrive in town next month. His debut in the CSL would likely be on July 14 when Shenhua faces old rival Beijing Guo'an in Shanghai.
Zhu's "welcome" may even extend to Colombian midfielder Giovanni Moreno, who currently plays for Racing club of Argentina, as Shenhua has offered a US$9 million contract for the 26-year-old, according to reports. Local hooligans, unhappy with the club's performance, accosted Moreno at gunpoint after a practice session, threatening to blow off his legs. Moreno's teammates said he lived in fear.
Zhu watched Shenhua's 0-2 loss to Changchun Yatai on Saturday night in northeastern Jilin Province. He believed that the addition of Drogba and another foreign player would help the team perform better. Shenhua currently sits a lowly 12th in the 16-team league with only 14 points after 13 rounds.
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