Senegal international Papiss Cisse is expected to arrive in Jinan, China on Tuesday to meet with his new teammates after signing for Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng who are coached by ex-Fulham manager Felix Magath. The 31-year-old striker has signed for Shandong Luneng for an undisclosed fee and is expected to land in Jinan from Hongkong on Tuesday afternoon. Shandong Luneng took to their official twitter page to announce the expected arrival of their new signings Papiss Cisse and Italian striker Graziano Pelle.
Welcome to Shandong!! ?@GPelle19 ? ?@CissePapiss ? pic.twitter.com/GJjHNdarZZ
— ShandongLuneng FC (@LoveLNTS)
">July 11, 2016
2016-07-12.Tomorrow afternoon.Papiss Demba Cisse flights (MU786) from Hongkong to Jinan.11:55✈✈✈14:20. pic.twitter.com/SXysOKPuUL
— ShandongLuneng FC (@LoveLNTS)
">July 11, 2016
The Senegal international, he scored 44 goals in 131 games for Newcastle. Cisse, who joined the Magpies from German club Freiburg, scored three times during the 2015-16 season, which ended with Newcastle being relegated to the Championship despite a late upturn in form under Rafael Benitez.
Cisse together with Pelle are the latest of a string of high-profile names to move to China both on and off the pitch. Brazil forward Hulk recently joined Shanghai SIPG in a £46.1m transfer that eclipsed the £38.4m Asian transfer record fee that Jiangsu Suning paid for compatriot Alex Teixeira last February. Demba Ba, formerly of Newcastle and Chelsea, moved to Shanghai Shenhuain July 2015, while Jackson Martinez left Atletico Madrid to join Guangzhou for a then-Asian record £31m in early February 2016. Shanghai SIPG are managed by ex-England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, and former Netherlands midfielder and AC Milan manager Clarence Seedorf was named as head coach of second-tier side Shenzen FC earlier this week.