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The southern Chinese club, based near Hong Kong, had no comment on the report when contacted by AFP.
Shanghai themselves, having also brought in French coach Jean Tigana, may have their own interest in the 33-year-old Drogba, according to previous reports.
Anelka, 32, will reportedly earn about £200 000 (around $300 000) a week at Shanghai, although Shenhua dispute the figure and have not revealed the transfer cost.
Guangzhou have spent $3,16 million dollars in recent days in signing four Chinese national players as they prepare to defend their Super League title and confront Asia’s best in the champions league, Xinhua news agency said.
Guangzhou are in Group H, the so-called “group of death”, alongside 2011 Asian runners-up Jeonbuk Hyundai and Japanese J-League champions Kashiwa.
Chinese football has long been mired in scandals like match-fixing and gambling, but clubs enriched by the country’s industrial boom last season began spending big on players.
Meanwhile Chelsea are to make a renewed bid for Porto defender Alvaro Pereira in January but face strong competition from Juventus for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.
Andre Villas-Boas missed out on Uruguay left back Pereira, 26, in the summer as Porto demanded £25m.
Former Porto coach Villas-Boas said: “In August we were close to securing Alvaro Pereira and we didn’t succeed.
“It’s normal that Chelsea should be linked to Porto but turning it into reality is another thing.”
Juventus are pressing ahead in their £26m bid for Higuain, 24, but Chelsea could offer players as well as cash with Didier Drogba still admired by Real boss Jose Mourinho.
Aston Villa are considering a January swoop for former Rangers and Newcastle centre back Jean-Alain Boumsong. The 32-year-old, who now plies his trade in Greece with Panathinaikos, worked with Villa boss Alex McLeish in Glasgow.
And the Scot is keen to be reunited with the erstwhile France international, who would add further experience to Villa’s rearguard.
Although a regular in Jesualdo Perreira’s Pana side, Boumsong’s contract runs out in 2013 and could be available in January, say reports.
And despite lying second in the Greek Super League with his current club, it is understood that an offer to return to the Barclays Premier League would be too good a deal to turn down, with veteran Boumsong chasing a final payday. — AFP/Daily Mail.
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