Al Jazira on the verge of deal for Schalke winger Jefferson Farfan

Capital club reportedly set to complete foreign contingent with renowned Peruvian international.

Jefferson Farfan's move to Al Jazira will complete the club's foreign quota for the new season. Martin Meissner / AP Photo
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Al Jazira are close to agreeing a deal for Schalke winger Jefferson Farfan, according to reports in Germany.

The Peruvian international, who competed at the recent Copa America, is said to have already told the Bundesliga club that he wants to leave for what reports claim would be a three-year contract worth an estimated €10 million (Dh40m) per season. However, that salary is unrealistically high.

Farfan’s deal with Schalke runs until 2016, so Jazira would effectively obtain the forward for a reduced fee. The former PSV Eindhoven star, 30, is currently enjoying an extended break following his Copa America commitments.

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Jazira are seeking one more foreign player to complete their four-man quota for the 2015/16 campaign following the acquisition of Thiago Neves and Park Jong-woo. Mirko Vucinic, who last season finished the division’s top scorer, has been retained.

Jazira still have Manuel Lanzini and Jonathan Pitroipa on their books, however the capital club, second the 2014/15 Arabian Gulf League, are listening to offers for both. Lanzini and Pitroipa returned to pre-season training this week.

Abel Braga, the Brazilian who lead Jazira to the league and President’s Cup double in 2011, has reprised his role and will be introduced to the media on Thursday evening, alongside Neves and Park. He succeeds Eric Gerets.

Farfan now appears poised to join the club, potentially before the squad departs for their training camp in Austria on July 20. Primarily a right winger, Farfan joined Schalke in 2008 from PSV in a reported €10m deal and has gone on to play 228 matches, scoring 53 goals. Last season, an injury restricted Farfan to nine Bundesliga appearances, three as a substitute.

He has represented the Peru national team since 2003. At the Copa America earlier this summer, Farfan featured in four of his side’s five matches, including the semi-final defeat to Chile.

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