Nicolas Anelka in talks to quit Shanghai for QPR

Nicolas Anelka could be heading back to London with Queens Park Rangers after it was reported today that he is in talks to leave Shanghai Shenhua.

The 33-year-old left Chelsea for a £200,000-a-week deal in January but the move has turned sour with the striker scoring only three goals as the club finished ninth out of 16 teams in the Chinese Super League.

The arrival of former Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba mid-season failed to spark Anelka and the Frenchman is now trying to reach a deal with Shangahi to rip up his contract, which has a year left to run.

The club’s spokesman Ma Yue said: “The discussion is between the club and himself, I don’t know about the specific details. But so far we haven’t got the final result.”

The website Sina.com also reported Anelka’s most likely ­destination is QPR, where a lack of goals is a worry for new boss Harry Redknapp.

Rangers have scored only 15 times in the League this season — the joint worst tally in the top flight — with strikers Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie hitting just four of them.

Of the other forwards, Bobby Zamora is out until February with a hip injury while Andy Johnson is a long-term absentee with a cruciate ligament injury. Earlier this month, Redknapp spoke of his admiration of the former France international but was unsure a deal could be done.

He said: “Anelka’s a top player so if he’s available he’s one I think would be of interest to people but as far as I know he’s gone to China — I don’t know what the situation is with that.”

On Saturday, it was midfielder Adel Taarabt, who scored both QPR goals as they secured their first League win of the season at the 17th attempt to lift themselves off the bottom of the table. Taarabt was the stand-out player in the 2-1 win over Fulham and Redknapp believes he can become Rangers’ Paolo di Canio.

Redknapp sold the Morocco international to QPR when Tottenham manager — he says he was “a complete fruitcake” then — but believes Saturday’s display is just the start for him.

“He can be a top, top player,” Redknapp said. “He’s got ability like not many people you’ve ever seen in your life. He’s like Di Canio, who I thought was a fantastic player, one of the all-time greats at West Ham. This boy is the same.

“He can do things that nobody else can do. No one can do what he can do. He’s amazing. He nutmegs people and he goes past two or three and they’re hanging on to him but they can’t get the ball off him.

“It’s amazing, but we always felt that when he was at Tottenham. When I let him go, he used to come back and I’d say to him ‘you’re making me look a fool, Adel! I keep seeing you on telly, you’re worth £20million, I sold you too cheap! What are you doing? Are you still having a laugh with me?’.

“But I never wanted to let him go at Tottenham, I was scared to let him go. I always felt he had a value even if he wasn’t starting. He’s grown up a bit now, he’s better than he was. He was a complete fruitcake at Tottenham.”

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Source: EveningStandard