1st June, 2012
Blackburn Rovers striker, Nigerian Yakubu Aiyegbeni, may quit England for China as a £5million-a-year contract is on the table for him, and he could be followed by Gael Givet.
Chinese Super League clubs, Guan Beijing and Shanghai Shenhua, are both interested in the Super Eagles striker, who was left out of this weekend’s 2014 World Cup qualifier against Namibia by Coach Stephen Keshi.
The Nigerian star has a clause in his contract, which allows him to leave for £1million and that will not be a problem for the wealthy Chinese, who have also offered him £100,000 (about N25million) a week.
The 29-year-old, who scored 18 goals last season, said: “I played in the Championship before. It was good but I don’t want to play there again.”
Shanghai, which also want defender, Givet, 30, have been beset by problems and it is understood that Nicolas Anelka is already considering a return to Europe this summer.
His former Chelsea team-mate, Didier Drogba, has a contract offer to join them but has also held talks with Real Madrid.
But the Spanish champions are struggling to meet the 34-year-old’s wage demands of around £150,000 a week.