Marouane Fellaini is reportedly set for his exit from Manchester United this month, with a lucrative move to the Chinese Super League on the cards.
According to a report by The Sun, Marouane Fellaini is on the verge of bringing the curtains down on his stint at Manchester United, with the cash-rich Chinese Super League his next destination. Shandong Luneng are prepared to offer him a mega money deal worth £9.5 million per year, after tax.
Fellaini was the first signing made by Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and the only player who made his way to Old Trafford in the summer after the legendary manager announced his retirement from management. And, for a long time, the Belgian was scapegoated for the ill-fated reign of David Moyes.
Fellaini though, ended up becoming an important figure under the two managers that succeeded Moyes at Manchester United. In particular, the player was hugely admired by Jose Mourinho, who fought tooth and nail to ensure he signed a new contract when his previous deal was set to run last summer. The departure of Mourinho though, has affected him the most adversely.
Ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as the interim manager, Fellaini has found himself to be on the fringes of the side, with the Norwegian not handing him a single start in the nine games that he has overseen. And, with each passing game, it has become increasingly clear that the 31-year-old’s future lies away from Manchester United.
Fellaini though, has a silver lining in the form of the Chinese Super League, where he is poised to sign a lucrative contract. Shandong Luneng are on the verge of securing the services of the Belgian international, who was briefly linked with other Premier League clubs as well.
Last season’s third-placed finishers are prepared to offer him an eye watering deal worth £9.5 million per year after tax. That means the player will be earning around £365,000 per week, in what will be a huge bump from his current £120,000-a-week deal.
So, after a five-and-a-half year stint that had seen him become a polarizing figure at Old Trafford, Marouane Fellaini is set to call it quits at Manchester United. It will now be interesting to see if he is able to find a second wind in the Far East, like many players before him have, most notably Paulinho.
