Didier Drogba Looking for More Champions League Glory with Galatasaray
Didier Drogba is poised for a return to European football with Galatasaray, according to a report in The Guardian.
The former Chelsea striker, who is currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast, is in negotiations with the Turkish club over an 18-month contract.
Drogba left Stamford Bridge for Shanghai Shenhua in China in the summer after his final kick for Chelsea won the Champions League for the club in a penalty shootout against Bayern Munich.
The 34-year-old is now set for another appearance in UEFA's showpiece tournament with Galatasaray, who will face Schalke in the last 16 next month.
Galatasaray have been building experience in their squad this month with midfielder Wesley Sneijder arriving from Inter Milan in a deal worth around £8.4 million, according to a BBC Sport report.
Drogba, of course, is a Chelsea legend and his eight years at Stamford Bridge were littered with silverware culminating in the triumph at the Allianz Arena.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Drogba was close to making a full-time return to West London as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looked to appease supporters after a disappointing run, which included the FA Cup draw at Brentford and elimination from the League Cup at Swansea.
But Drogba looks set for a move to Turkey where he will link up with Sneijder and other familiar faces, such as former international teammate and former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, ex-Bolton forward Johan Elmander and Milan Baros, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005.
Coupled with the presence of Turkey internationals such as defender Semih Kaya, ex-Real Madrid midfielder Hamit Altintop and striker Burak Yilmaz, who scored six times in the group stage, Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim is building a strong squad.
Drogba has been a long-time target for Galatasaray with the Mirror reporting their interest in May 2011.
Despite the experience being embedded into the Galatasaray squad this season, the Turkish club are unlikely to progress beyond Schalke into the quarterfinals.
Galatasaray have a decent pedigree in European competition and won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup in 2000.
But their prowess cannot match that of their Bundesliga opponents, who have reached the Champions League semifinals twice in the last six years.
Drogba and Galatasaray will be great to watch next month, but the team will still need time to gel ahead of the Schalke tie, and that is unlikely to happen within the next few weeks.
Can Drogba help Galatasaray win the Champions League? Let us know what you think.
