Anelka wants to sign Drogba

Nicolas Anelka has confirmed his desire to sign his old Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba after taking over as player-boss of Shanghai Shenhua.

Anelka moved to Shenhua in January and now finds himself in charge of the team after Jean Tigana was fired.

The former Chelsea man seems to be settling in too, confirming he would like to sign Drogba and former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Selim Benachour, currently with Maritimo, this summer.

"I hope Selim Benachour and Didier Drogba will quickly join us," he told Le Journal du Dimanche.

"I hope they to come. It is up to the club to see if we have the right means."

Anelka insists he has no qualms about taking over from Tigana.

"Jean Tigana? I don't know what happened with the coach, but it looked like an impasse," he added.

"As usually I will take on, trying to seize that challenge, which is the greatest of my career. We start almost from scratch again.

"Florent Ibenge will take the daily training sessions. To assist us there will be Alioune Toure and Ian Walker for the keepers."

Anelka says he is an "English philosophy of coaching."

"I have been impressed by Carlo Ancelotti, Kevin Keegan, Arsene Wenger, Guus Hiddink, Christoph Daum and Sam Allardyce," he said.

"I have also looked at Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp. I have a very English philosophy of coaching."