Leicester End Long Zhang Yuning Saga

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 25, 2001

Leicester End Long Zhang Yuning Saga

English Premiership outfit Leicester City announced on Saturday that they have abandoned plans to sign Chinese striker Zhang Yuning - at least for the time being.

English Premiership outfit Leicester City announced on Saturday that they have abandoned plans to sign Chinese striker Zhang Yuning - at least for the time being.

Foxes manager Dave Bassett is now to redouble his efforts to bring in Middlesbrough forward Brian Deane after Saturday's Premiership encounter with Everton.

Bassett has decided to cool his interest in the 24-year-old Chinese and has even withdrawn from a Department of Employment work permit appeal for the player.

Bassett said: "In the end I felt it was all getting too complicated and it did not seem right.

"We learned that any decision over the work permit would take some time and I was thinking, hang on, it will soon be Christmas.

"There was also the fact that the player would need to go back to China for an international in March so eventually we decided to withdraw from the talks.

"That is not to say that we might not try and take him at another time but for the moment it is not going to happen."

Bassett is set to try to land Deane, having previously worked with the 33-year-old when he was in charge of Sheffield United.

Deane has already rejected the chance to join First Division Coventry and any fee that cash-strapped Leicester would have to pay Middlesbrough would be only nominal.

Bassett wants Deane, currently recovering from a hamstring strain, to give him added firepower and put pressure on record buy Ade Akinbiyi and the club's summer signing James Scowcroft.

Bassett Says Zhang Yuning Appeal Is "50/50"