Twists, turns as Drogba drama drags on
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 10, 2012
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Chelsea's Didier Drogba celebrates winning the FA Cup. |
Will he or won't he? That's the question that has left many Shanghai Shenhua fans flustered as the Didier Drogba drama rages on.
In the latest twist, Shenhua owner Zhu Jun has indicated that the club is close to sealing a deal with the Chelsea hitman, only days after the club's player-coach Nicolas Anelka - teammates at Stamford Bridge - hinted that it was unlikely to happen.
Zhu and Drogba's agents - a Chinese surnamed Fan and two others from France - apparently held talks in Singapore on Tuesday night.
Fan told a local daily Xinmin Evening News that Zhu was willing to collaborate with Drogba for charitable causes in his home country Cote d'Ivoire, which seems to interest the 34-year-old striker.
"In the negotiations, Zhu hit it off instantly with Drogba on charity and the distance between the two was shortened as well," Fan told the paper. "Both of them have a heart for charity."
Among the charitable ventures planned in Drogba's home country, Zhu is likely to help with the building of a children's hospital, the newspaper claimed.
"During negotiations with both Drogba and Anelka, I felt that such big players do not put their foot in two camps.
"They are very professional and loyal. The choice is always made after considering their future in a comprehensive way. Off course the salary is very important but it isn't all," Zhu was quoted as saying.
"I won't say 100 percent, in case Chelsea offers Drogba a contract in the last minute that he cannot refuse, but I can say we're very close to him."
Zhu also touched upon the British media reports that the Ivorian striker was being offered a two-year, 20 million pounds in salary.
"It hasn't been decided whether it'll be a two-year or a two-and-a-half-year contract and the 20 million pound value of the contract isn't settled either," Zhu said.
"But we never offer ridiculous price and the final figure on the contract must be a reasonable one," he said.
