Newcastle United striker Papiss Cissé. (Photo : Getty Images)
Newcastle United's Papiss Cissé has reportedly attracted the interest of several Chinese Super League squads as China's winter transfer window closes this Friday, but the English Premier League club is said to be keen on keeping the striker at least until the summer.
Chronicle Live reported that the 30-year-old Cissé "could be available in the summer for around £5million", but for now they "will resist interest from the Chinese Super League suitors".
The Senegal international is needed by the Magpies for the rest of the season after Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic went down with a knee injury that may sideline him until July.
The report noted that had Newcastle snagged striker Saido Berahino from West Brom during the January window, Cissé "would likely have been allowed to leave" St. James' Park for Chinese glory. His name is said to be among the many Premier League talents being targeted by the surging China top flight this winter.
Cissé still has 18 months left in his contract with the Magpies that reportedly would earn him £10million at the end of the season. He was not utilized that much this season prior to Mitrovic's injury, but it is expected that he will see a lot of first team playing time from now.
The Dakar, Senegal native has only appeared in 10 games so far this season, scoring two times in the English domestic league, mostly because of his recurring groin injury that has sidelined him since last December, as per The Sun.
The specific CSL club targeting Cissé is still unknown at the moment, but there were rumors that it could be Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC, the same team that is trying to acquire his teammate Cheick Tioté from the Magpies.
Cissé had been with Newcastle since January 2012, when he was signed to five-and-a-half year contract and a transfer fee of £9.3 million paid to his former club, SC Freiburg of Germany's second division.
He is now in his fifth season with the Magpies and has appeared a total of 111 games and has scored 43 times in all competitions during the said span of time.
Upon Mitrovic's return, though, and if Steve McClaren's bid for Berahino pushes through this summer, Cissé would most likely be spending the following season competing in the Far East nation.
