Crystal Palace Pursues China ConnectionEnglish First Division soccer club Crystal Palace has agreed to pay 2.8 million pounds (US$4.19 million) for two Chinese defenders and is negotiating for a third, China's Dalian Shide club said on Tuesday."The deal should be signed within the next two weeks," Dalian's vice-general manager Lin Lefeng told Reuters. Lin said Palace would sign China internationals Sun Jihai -- who had a stint at Palace before returning to Dalian -- and Li Ming. In what Dalian said was the biggest soccer deal so far in China, the pair will join fellow China international Fan Zhiyi at Crystal Palace. Palace was also negotiating the transfer of Zhang Enhua, now on loan to Grimsby Town, also of the English First Division, Lin said. Zhang's loan to Grimsby ends in April and he could move to join his compatriots in a Crystal Palace defence British tabloids have already dubbed the "Great Wall of China". Fan and Sun were the first Chinese to play for an English club when they joined Crystal Palace in 1998, making the club a favourite with Chinese fans. Source: chinadaily.com.cn |
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