China captain Zheng Zhi has joined struggling English Premier
League club Charlton Athletic on loan until the end of the season,
the club said on Friday.
The deal, which comes into effect when the transfer window opens
next Monday, January 1, also gives the relegation-threatened
Londoners an option to make the 26-year-old midfielder's move
permanent.
"The versatile China captain ... will join from Shandong Luneng
initially for the rest of the 2006-07 campaign," Charlton's Web
site www.cafc.co.uk said.
Zheng is new manager Alan Pardew's first signing since he took
charge of the club last week.
Charlton, who have had three managers this season, lie second
from bottom of the table with 13 points from 20 matches.
Zheng had a two-day trial at The Valley in late November after
leading Shandong to the Chinese Super League (CSL) and Chinese FA
Cup double last season and winning his second CSL player of the
year title. He was named China captain in October.
"I won't deny I'm the best footballer in China, but it's only in
China," Zheng was quoted as saying in the Titan Sports Chinese
newspaper.
"At the moment the most important thing for me is to keep my
feet in the Premier League first."
Zheng was banned after attacking an official during an AFC
Champions League match last November and it was his tackle that
broke French striker Djibril Cisse's leg in a friendly before this
year's World Cup.
(China Daily via Reuters December 30, 2006)