SHANGHAI: French striker Nicolas Anelka on Friday hinted that his former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba would not be joining him at the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

Anelka, player-coach of Shenhua, previously expressed hopes that the 34-year-old forward could join him in a lucrative move to Shanghai.

Anelka confirmed he had spoken to Drogba and the Ivory Coast international had reached a decision over his future, but Anelka said it was “inconvenient”to tell people what that might be.

“Even if Drogba finally chooses to stay with Chelsea, that can only prove Drogba himself wanted to stay and Chelsea also wanted to keep him,” Anelka said, as quoted by Shanghai Internet portal www.online.sh.cn.

“If Drogba cannot come to Shanghai, then there are no regrets because the world still has many other fine players,” said Anelka, 33, according to a transcript of a news conference.

The former French international joined the Chinese Super League side in January and was named player-coach shortly before Shenhua sacked French head coach Jean Tigana last month, after a poor start to the season.