The story appears on

Page A13

September 3, 2009

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Soccer

Zheng set for Celtic switch

SCOTTISH club Celtic look set to sign China captain Zheng Zhi this week and further boost its Asian contingent after last week's capture of promising young Korean Ki Sung-yong.
Midfielder Zheng, 29, is a free agent after being released by English club Charlton Athletic at the end of last season so the move would not be governed by the transfer window, which closed on Tuesday.
Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura left Celtic for Spain's Espanyol in June and manager Tony Mowbray is hopeful of landing another East Asian playmaker in Zheng, who he also tried to sign at his former club West Bromwich Albion.
"Zheng Zhi is a player I have tracked for some time," Mowbray told yesterday's Scotsman newspaper. "He is a highly-regarded player and was a thorn in our side when he played against us at West Bromwich Albion.
"I am delighted he may join us. He will significantly add to the squad with his quality and the fact he can play in a number of positions.
"We now need to tie up loose ends and obtain a work permit, which we hope to do before our next game."
Twice China's Player of the Year, Zheng joined Charlton, initially on loan, from Shandong Luneng when the London club was in the Premier League in late 2006.
Zheng would be the second Chinese player to play for the Glasgow club after defender Du Wei, who managed just 45 minutes of a Scottish Cup upset at Clyde in 2006 before heading back to Shanghai Shenhua.
Celtic, which signed 20-year-old South Korea midfielder Ki from FC Seoul for an undisclosed fee last week, would offer Zheng a two-year contract, the Scotsman said.
Elsewhere, England defender Ashley Cole followed Chelsea captain John Terry by signing a new contract with the early season Premier League leader yesterday.
The fullback has agreed to a four-year contract with the west London club, where he has played since a high-profile move from Arsenal in 2006.
The 28-year-old Cole has played 135 times for Chelsea since the Blues paid 5 million pounds (then US$9.5 million) and sent William Gallas to Arsenal in part exchange. Terry signed a five-year contract on Monday.



 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend