Shanghai - French striker Nicolas Anelka on Friday hinted that his
former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba would not be joining him at the
Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
Anelka, player-coach of Shenhua,
previously expressed hopes that the 34-year-old forward could join him
in a lucrative move to Shanghai.
Anelka confirmed he had spoken to
Drogba and the Ivory Coast international had reached a decision over
his future, but Anelka said it was "inconvenient" to tell people what
that might be.
"Even if Drogba finally chooses to stay with
Chelsea, that can only prove Drogba himself wanted to stay and Chelsea
also wanted to keep him," Anelka said, as quoted by Shanghai Internet
portal www.online.sh.cn.
"If Drogba cannot come to Shanghai, then
there are no regrets because the world still has many other fine
players," said Anelka, 33, according to a transcript of a news
conference.
The former French international joined the Chinese
Super League side in January and was named player-coach shortly before
Shenhua sacked French head coach Jean Tigana last month, after a poor
start to the season.
- AFP