Marouane Fellaini agrees Manchester United exit to become one of world’s highest paid players

The move will earn Fellaini an eye-watering amount

Marouane Fellaini has reportedly agreed a deal to leave Manchester United which will make him one of the highest-paid players in world football.

The Belgian midfielder will join Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng on a three-year deal which is said to be worth £18 million annually.

The former Everton man leaves Manchester United after 11 years in England. He was signed for Everton by David Moyes in 2008, before the Scot made him his first signing at Old Trafford in 2013.

Despite being a figure of ridicule among a number of Red Devils supporters who saw him as personification as everything that was wrong with the team’s style of play, the formerly-Afro’d bruiser retained the trust of the club’s previous manager Jose Mourinho.

Since the Portuguese coach’s sacking, Fellaini has found minutes hard to come by however, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s opting instead for players capable of kicking the ball and moving at speed.

Confirmed: Marouane Fellaini signs for Shandong Luneng on a three-year deal.

• 177 Manchester United apps
• 177 Everton apps
• 11 years in England

End of an era. Good luck in China. pic.twitter.com/UzAf8Ec9EN

— Adriano Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) January 30, 2019

This lack of game time has not put off a number of Chinese suitors, who likely view the 31-year-old as a marquee signing with genuine international recognition.

While United are yet to agree a fee with Luneng, who finished third in last season’s CSL table, it is understood that Fellaini will earn close to £350,000 a week at his new club.

If that is the case it will be almost double the weekly wage he agreed in his recent contract extension with Manchester United.