Didier Drogba joins Galatasaray

Galatasaray have reached a deal to sign former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.

The Turkish club confirmed on their website that Drogba had agreed an 18-month deal.

The 34-year-old is currently on international duty for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Drogba – via his representatives, Sports PR Company, on Twitter – said: « I am looking forward to playing in the Champions League again. »

Galatasaray are through to the last 16 of the competition, where they face German side FC Schalke 04.

« The opportunity to play for this great club was an offer that I could not turn down, » added Drogba.

His representatives said he would join up with the Turkish side once the Africa Cup of Nations was over.

Didier Drogba will turn down a sensational approach to return to Chelsea and sign an 18-month contract with Galatasaray.

Sportsmail can reveal that Roman Abramovich gave the go-ahead last week to offer Drogba a deal until the end of the season, with an option for a further year.

Incredibly the talks were so far advanced that Chelsea were convinced that the man who delivered the European Cup last season was on the brink of signing before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

It also appears that after unexpectedly re-signing Ashley Cole on a one-year deal last week, Chelsea are embarking on a major charm offensive towards their supporters.

They were furious with Rafa Benitez yesterday as they drew 2-2 in the FA Cup at League One side Brentford at Griffin Park and chanted: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’.

Terms on the deal had been offered to Drogba — who joined Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in May — and there was a huge emotional pull to return to Stamford Bridge.

He won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and his Chelsea career ended with that glorious finale against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in May last year.

Chelsea offered him a year’s extension on reduced terms at the time, but Drogba, 34, decided to quit after lifting the Champions League.

Chelsea have been struggling without him this season and Fernando Torres, who scored yesterday, is still struggling for form.

Drogba, whose family still live in Surrey and whose children attend Chelsea’s academy, has been training with his old team-mates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and they initially began teasing him that he wanted to return.