Anelka in Shanghai negotiations

Shanghai Shenhua said they were in contract talks with Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and an announcement would be made within days, in what would be a major coup for Chinese football. A club official would not confirm reports of a three-year deal but he said negotiations were continuing with the 32-year-old Frenchman, who has requested a transfer from the English Premier League giants. The official added that ambitious Shanghai were also in talks with French coach Jean Tigana, in another sign of the Chinese Super League's increasing financial clout. "I don't know what foreign media said and what sources they used. I only know negotiations are still going on," a club spokesman who asked not to be named told AFP, referring to the Anelka talks. "The final result will come in five days." Anelka would be the most high-profile player to appear in China's Super League. 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 USD $10 million deal with Guangzhou Evergrande. The Chinese champions 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 Shenhua finished 11th last season, while Anelka has previously played for Paris Saint Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and Turkey's Fenerbahce.