Real Madrid's French striker Nicolas Anelka will join Paris St. Germain on a six-year deal next week after the club agreed a French record transfer fee of 220 million francs ($31.2m), French daily Le Parisien reported Thursday.
PSG president Laurent Perpere and newly-elected Real chief Florentino Perez, along with the player's brother and agent Didier, met yesterday to finalize the deal, and the only details to be ironed out are a medical and a contractual clause.
It brings to an end Anelka's controversial spell with the European Champions after he served 22 days of a 45-day ban and was heavily fined during last season for missing three days of training claiming the team were not playing to suit his style.
Anelka did make a successful return to the side and scored crucial goals in both legs of the semifinal against German champions Bayern Munich before playing a part in the 3-0 win over Valencia in the final at Paris.
The 21-year-old, currently on holiday in Martinique, will now return to his original club with whom he played in 1997 before English Premiership giants Arsenal snapped him up for a bargain fee of $750,000 ahead of his stormy road to stardom under the guidance of Arsene Wenger.
He was a member of the league and Cup double-winning side of 1998 and scored 18 goals in his last season with Arsenal before demanding to be transferred to another club, complaining of pressure from the English press – (AFP)
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