The Old Trafford hierarchy will be pleased with the fee Fellaini has commanded
When Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United in December, it was hoped by supporters that one of the new manager’s first tasks at the club would be to scrub away the malaise the Portuguese coach had left behind.
Few players represented the style with which Mourinho’s United played more than Marouane Fellaini, and as such many supporters were delighted when news broke on Wednesday that he had agreed a move to Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng; one which will make him one of the world’s highest paid players.
Marouane Fellaini on his way to China. Agreement in principle between United and Shandong. Fee expected to be around €12m.
— Rob Dawson (@RobDawsonESPN) January 31, 2019
The only aspect of the deal that needed to be confirmed was the fee that the Chinese side would pay United, and on Thursday morning it was revealed that the club would receive approximately £12 million for the Belgian’s services.
That fee represents slightly less than half of the £27 million United paid Everton for the 31-year-old’s services in 2013 and considering how limited a player Fellaini is, is one which the United board will be very, very pleased with.
Fellaini will join a team which is managed by former China international Li Xiaopeng and which finished in third place in last season’s CSL, meaning that they will compete in next season’s AFC Champions League.