Monday, 19th December, 2011
Marseille have failed in their bid to tempt Didier Drogba to the Stade Velodrome, with the Ivorian looking set to join team-mate Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua.
Coach Didier Deschamps is looking to reinforce his forward options in the January transfer window after seeing his Marseille side lack a real cutting edge this season – the Ligue 1 outfit have struggled when Loic Remy has been off form.
And Drogba was the talent settled on by Deschamps and sporting director Jose Anigo, with the hope that the Chelsea hitman would be attracted by the idea of moving back to the club he represented between 2003 and 2004.
But that thought was quickly dashed when Anigo spoke to the 33-year-old.
"During the transfer window we need to be clever and we need to recruit a striker since that is the choice of the coach", Anigo told Telefoot, before confirming the arrival would not be Drogba, as he has turned down an approach.
"It won’t be Didier Drogba, I can already tell you this", added the Marseille transfer supremo, before indicating that the Chelsea man has a switch lined up.
"I spoke to him on the phone and he told me firmly that he has a good reason to go somewhere else and therefore he prefers to live somewhere else."
Drogba is thought to be close to agreeing to join team-mate Anelka at Chinese Super League giants Shanghai Shenhua after being offered a three-year deal worth between $10M and $12M by the Blue Devil.
The Ivory Coast international would also link up with former Fulham coach Jean Tigana in China, who has been announced as Shanghai’s new coach on a two-year contract.
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