28 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012
Arsenal give up on Van Persie
Drogba is China’s biggest soccer import W
HEN he arrived at Shanghai’s Pudong airport on Saturday, former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was greeted as a savior. Fans of his new team, Shanghai Shenhua, mobbed the 34-year-old Ivory Coast star, chanting his name, shooting photos with their phones and waving Ivory Coast and Shenhua flags before he hopped into a black BMW with the team’s director. Later in the day, Drogba said at a press conference that his move was about more than his reported $300,000a-week salary, which would make him one of the highestpaid players in the world. “Money is not the most important,” he said, the Associated Press reported. “I am here for a whole new experience.”
China, the world’s biggest exporter, is now becoming a key importer of 30something-year-old soccer stars, and Shanghai is the leading destination. At the beginning of this year, Shanghai Shenhua signed Nicolas Anelka, Drogba’s former Chelsea teammate, to help propel it to the top of the Chinese Super League. During his first game, against rivals Beijing Guoan, Anelka scored and then raced to the visitors’ end to celebrate with a small contingent of fans who traveled to the capital. But the team lost 3-2, and Shenhua has been lackluster ever since. It is now ranked 12th in the 16team league, just three places above the relegation zone.
R
OBIN VAN PERSIE returned to training with Arsenal yesterday insisting he still wants to quit. And it seems the Gunners have given up on their skipper staying too, as their latest online catalogue does not even feature him. Now the £30million-rated Dutch striker is demanding fresh talks with boss Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis. Van Persie, 28, wants his future sorted out before the squad leave for a Far East tour on Saturday. An Arsenal spokesman confirmed: “Robin returned to training on Monday as expected and made it clear he wants to sit down and resolve the matter of his future, either way, as soon as possible. “No date has yet been agreed for that meeting.” Van Persie, who has a year left on his Arsenal deal, is wanted by Man City, Man United, Juventus and Real Madrid. But last season’s top Premier League scorer, with 30 goals, does not feature at all in the latest online club catalogue. There are even club T-shirts for lesser lights such as Per Mertesacker. Van Persie helped launch the Gunners’ new home kit in April but he has been airbrushed out of the latest online brochure, which highlights the team’s new purple away kit. RVP wants to quit the Gunners to chase football’s biggest prizes but if the matter remains unresolved by the weekend, he will still go to the Far East.
•Drogba
Chelsea to cough out £60m for Cavani, Oscar C
•Cavani
C M Y K
HELSEA will have to pay over £60million to land Napoli hitman Edinson Cavani and Brazilian playmaker Oscar in a sensational double swoop. The Blues are ready to pay £35m for Uruguayan star Cavani, who tore them apart in last season’s Champions League. But Napoli could push them higher for the man who is earmarked to replace Didier Drogba. And with owner Roman Abramovich sparing no expense to defend the club’s Champions League title, he has also sanctioned a £25m deal for Internacional’s Oscar. Earlier in the summer, Napoli were demanding in excess of £50m for Cavani, who has scored 66 goals in his two seasons in Naples. But they are now ready to start talks at a more realistic price. Internacional president Giovanni Luigi last night confirmed he is close to an agreement for Oscar, 20, who is in Brazil’s team for the Olympics. Luigi said: “I want the transfer of Oscar to be the biggest deal ever in Brazilian football — and the Chelsea offer isn’t far from that.”
Carlos Vela joins Real Sociedad from Arsenal
C
•Oscar
ARLOS Vela has signed a permanent deal with La Liga side Real Sociedad , leaving Arsenal after seven years at the club. The Mexican striker was on loan with the Spanish team last season, making 35 appearances, and chipping in with 12 goals and seven assists, finishing as top scorer for the side. Vela has previously played on loan at Salamanca, Osasuna and West Brom as he failed to nail down a place in the Arsenal first team since joining the club in 2005. Vela is expected to put the finishing touches to the deal on Tuesday, though Sociedad have already announced the agreement with Arsenal, with an official presentation set to take place on Thursday. Vela has represented Mexico at every youth level, playing at the Under 17 and Under 20 World Cups, and was a part of the senior side for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
•V