Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike. (Photo : Getty Images)
Rumors have emerged that an unnamed Chinese football club is interested in current Al Ain striker Emmanuel Emenike as reports that the UAE squad is ready to let go of the footballer after failing to replicate former attacker Asamoah Gyan's goal-scoring performance during the Nigerian's six-month stint with the reigning Arabian Gulf League champions.
There are ongoing speculations that with Emenike's one foot out of the door in Abu Dhabi, he is contemplating on going back to his mother team, Turkish side Fenerbahçe SK, or move to China and follow Gyan to join Chinese Super League squad Shanghai SIPG.
Al Ain board member Mohammed Obeid Hamdoun confirmed the China rumors on Emenike, who is currently on loan to the Boss from Fenerbahçe, but did not specify which Chinese club has an interest on their 28-year-old striker.
"And Emmanuel, we have one team from China interested," said Hamdoun while also talking about the impending exit of Al Ain winger Ryan Babel, as per The National. "Fenerbahçe wants to take him back. I think he'll go back to them and Babel might as well."
"I saw Emenike in the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria and he was a good player. But when he came here he scored only seven (league) goals, with the local players we have here? Enough," he added.
Meanwhile, Ghana Soccernet also reported Emenike's options to either go back to Turkey or move to China, specifically mentioning the CSL and saying that "the Nigerian Emenike will head back to Fenerbahçe or face a new challenge in the Chinese Super League just six months after his arrival."
Emenike joined Fenerbahçe for his second stint with the club in August 2013 for a transfer fee of €13 million from Spartak Moscow. He was then sent on loan to Al Ain before the 2015-2016 season started.
