Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been offered $ 1 million by Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Atletico de Kolkata to be their marquee player for the upcoming season starting in October.
Atletico has proposed to pay the Ivorian marksman $ 1 million plus all costs of his living and training with the team for their pre-season in Spain, foreign media reported on Friday.
The ISL sides have a deadline of announcing their marquee by July 31 but Drogba’s agent is yet to take a decision on the 37-year-old’s future.
Speaking about Atletico’s interest in the talismanic forward, UK-based agent Baljit Rihal said: “This is a real statement of intent from clubs in the Indian Super League, who are passionately trying to put India on the global football map.”
After leaving Chelsea last season, Drogba has attracted a lot of attention from several Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit sides too, including Chicago Fire and Montreal Impact.
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Chicago coach Frank Yallop said his side would know very soon if at all Drogba would be joining them.
“We’re waiting on an answer, probably in the next 48 hours,” he said.
Should the Ivorian accept Atletico’s offer he would join a host of big names for the second season of the Indian football league.
Former Real Madrid star left-back Roberto Carlos was recently appointed player-manager of Delhi Dynamos. Drogba’s former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka has the same role at Mumbai City FC.