Drogba and Anelka could leave China
FORMER Chelsea strike partners Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka could both be bound for a return to the Premier League just months after joining Shanghai Shenhua.
The Chinese club may be forced to offload the pair, who are both thought to earn more than £200,000 per week, amid a bitter and escalating row between shareholders.
Shanghai Shenhua chairman Zhu Jun, who bankrolled the signings of Drogba and Anelka, is threatening to withdraw funding unless he receives greater control.
“It is annoying and has had a bad effect on many of our tasks,” said a club official quoted in the Chinese press.
“The biggest problem is that the operation and financing work of the club cannot be carried out normally. The equity stakes issue has become the biggest bottleneck for the development of Shenhua.”
Talismanic Ivory Coast forward Drogba, 34, snubbed moves to other English top-flight clubs in favour of moving to big-spending Shanghai this summer.
His arrival came six months after that of former Blues colleague Anelka, 33, who left Stamford Bridge for China during the January transfer window.
Meanwhile, another one-time Blue, winger Scott Sinclair, has seen a £6.2m bid from Manchester City rejected by Swansea.