Anelka agrees Shanghai switch

NICOLAS ANELKA’S days at Chelsea are almost over after the striker yesterday agreed to join Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

The former Arsenal and Real Madrid star will be the biggest name to appear in China’s Super League, which is growing in stature despite significant corruption problems that have left several officials facing jail.

“We have basically agreed on the details of the contract, but there are small details that we still need to confirm,” club spokesman Ma Yue told AFP.

He added that the 32-year-old Frenchman would start playing for the team in January if all the fine details were ironed out, but was unable to reveal any details of the deal, adding a formal announcement would be made today.

Reports claim Anelka has agreed a two-year deal for a weekly salary of €150,000.

Chinese football teams are increasingly resorting to buying foreign players in a bid to boost the sport.

In July, Argentine midfielder Dario Conca became China’s most expensive signing — and reportedly, one of the world’s best paid players — when he inked a $10 million deal with Guangzhou Evergrande.

The Chinese champions, who are bankrolled by a leading property company and were relegated two seasons ago for match-fixing, have also splashed out $7.5 million on Brazilian forwards Cleo and Muriqui, last season’s top scorer.

China’s foreign legion also includes Henan Construction’s Leandro Netto de Macedo and Shanghai’s Luis Salmeron, while Romanian Christian Danalache and Serb Aleksander Jevtic both play for Jiangsu Sainty.

Shanghai Shenua, 11th in the Chinese league last season, is the latest stop on Anelka’s nomadic career, with spells also at Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Turkey’s Fenerbahce.