SHANGHAI, June 20: Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba ended weeks of speculation about his future on Wednesday by following his former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka in making a lucrative move to big-spending Chinese Super League strugglers Shanghai Shenhua.

Drogba sealed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Shanghai Shenhua, becoming the biggest recruit so far to China’s ambitious Super League. The announcement ends months of speculation about the move, in which the striker will become China’s best paid player with weekly pay of £200,000, according to reports.

“Today I can inform you that I have signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua FC for a two-and-a-half year deal (until the end of 2014),” Drogba, 34, said on his website. “I will fly out to join up with the squad in July.”—AFP