Nicolas Anelka in Shanghai Shenua

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Frank Isola: Montreal Impact lucked out by losing Nicolas Anelka to Shanghai Shenua

The MLS expansion franchise would have sold jerseys if it signed Anelka, but the price was set way too high for the Chelsea striker

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was said to be intrigued with the idea of playing in Major League Soccer and was in talks with the expansion Montreal Impact about relocating to the French-speaking Canadian city.

It all sounded too good to be true which of course it was once the Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua, blew away the competition with an offer that will reportedly pay the 32-year-old French striker $300,000 a week. Suddenly, spending the summers in North America didn’t seem so appealing.