Granada use Chinese influence to lure Colombian Ramos

BARCELONA (Reuters) - La Liga strugglers Granada have used the influence of their Chinese owner Jiang Lizhang to bring Colombia striker Adrian Ramos to the club to revitalise their ailing campaign and boost their chances of survival in Spain's top flight Chinese Super League outfit Chongqing Dangdai Lifan, owned by Granada's majority shareholder Lizhang, have reportedly agreed to sign Ramos from Borussia Dortmund for 10 million euros ($10.6 million) in a deal that will see him spend the remainder of this season with Granada. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said on Friday that Ramos had left the Bundesliga club. "It was Adrian's desire to play more and we've agreed to the move with a heavy heart," Tuchel told reporters. Ramos has scored 13 Bundesliga goals since joining Dortmund from Hertha Berlin in 2014 but has made only four starts this campaign. Local media reported that Ramos arrived in Granada on Friday to complete the loan deal and coach Lucas Alcaraz said he expected the move to be made official imminently. The Andalusian club have signed Iceland defender Sverrir Ingason on a permanent deal from Belgian club Lokeren and Greece winger Panagiotis Kone on loan from Udinese, who have been named in the squad for Saturday's game at Espanyol. "The new signings will be able to help us through the season. Ingason has been training with us and is ready to play, Kone is an experienced midfielder and Adrian is a renowned striker," Alcaraz told reporters on Friday. Chinese businessman Lizhang, owner of the firm Link International Sports, acquired Granada for 37 million euros ($39.4 million) from Italian Gino Pozzo last June, ending the club's seven-year ties with the family who also own Serie A side Udinese and Premier League Watford. Lizhang also has a five percent stake in NBA team the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lizhang's investment in Granada has not gone to plan so far, with the club languishing second bottom in the standings, six points from exiting the relegation zone with just one win from 18 league games. Granada have a habit of launching late escape acts, however, finishing two points or fewer above the relegation zone in four of their five seasons in the top flight since getting promoted in 2011. Maintaining top-flight status is crucial to Lizhang's ambitions to make his investment in Granada worthwhile due to La Liga's television rights deal which guarantees clubs revenues of at least 42 million euros ($44.7 million) each season. Teams in the Second Division A, Spain's second tier, earn an average of 6 million euros ($6.2 million) per year from broadcasting rights. (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Ed Osmond)