The club spokesperson said Dong, who had only played 2 games and made one substitute appearance at Old Trafford, would appear in the club team's starting lineup for the rest of the season.

The transfer will put an end to the Chinese player's 4-year bumpy relationship with the Red Devils. In 2004, United paid Dalian Shide a total of ?3.5m for Dong, so far the highest transfer fee for a Chinese player, as a strategic move to boost its profile in the world's most populous country. But because Dong did not qualify for a UK work permit, he spent two years on loan at United's feeder club Royal Antwerp until he was eligible to play in England in 2007; yet seldom did he get chance to play for the club.

"For him, it is far better to come back home and actually play some games than to stay in England warming United's bench," Li Ming, owner of Dalian Shide, told Sina.com. Li also said the two clubs have agreed on the transfer fee, which he described as "almost none".

Dong is now working on the transfer deal in England, and is expected to leave in a few days for a meeting with local fans on the fields of Shide's training base.