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Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger looks on as his team beat AC Milan in the Uefa Europa League. Photo: AFP

Bizarre kebab post skewers the idea that Arsene Wenger is headed to Shandong Luneng

Chinese Super League club deny deal to make Frenchman best paid boss, following Tianjin Quanjian threats against Iniesta rumours

Shandong Luneng of the Chinese Super League have been quick to distance themselves with a move for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after he leaves the English Premier League giants in the summer.

The team, currently second in the league, used their official Sina Weibo platform to post a snarky denial that they are the next destination for the Frenchman.

They mentioned their “surprise” to have learned online of Wenger’s transfer and asked if they should prepare a “welcome meal” for the Frenchman.

Fearful that he would not like the local Shandong kebabs, the Jinan-based club said they will “not invite” Wenger and are instead happy with “Professor Li”, referring to coach Li Xaopeng, the former player who took over when German Felix Magath left at the end of last season.

The 42-year-old is the highest placed Chinese manager in the CSL, his team sit one point behind leaders Shanghai SIPG after eight games.

Rumours circulated that Wenger turned down a £30 million (US$41 million) per year offer from an unnamed Chinese club last February but after announcing that he will leave Arsenal after 22 years in the summer, gossip has linked him with the CSL once again.

Reports in The Mirror at the weekend suggested the salary on offer now is even more than Marcello Lippi is paid to coach the Chinese national team, which would make him the highest paid boss in the world.

Several posts on both English and Chinese social media on Monday reported that Shandong Luneng Taishan were that team, something the club have moved to deny.

This comes after Tianjin Quanjian threatened to sue anyone who circulated the rumour that they would be signing Spanish World Cup winning midfielder Andres Iniesta when he leaves Barcelona this summer. The 33-year-old is expected to join Chongqing Dangdai Lifan instead but will only announce his next destination after the season finishes.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Shandong deny a move for Wenger
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