DUBAI // Habib Fardan is set for a move to Al Ahli, the Arabian Gulf League champions, with officials at Al Nasr confirming negotiations are at an advanced stage.
Fardan, 23, has been the subject of a bidding war between Al Jazira and Ahli through the summer after the national team midfielder turned down an extension deal that would have kept him at Nasr beyond the 2014/15 season.
According to reports, the Abu Dhabi club had offered Nasr Dh40 million and promised Fardan a salary in excess of Dh10m-a-season, but it seems Ahli have upstaged them with a deal that not only matches Jazira’s offer, but also sees defender Esam Dahi travel in the opposite direction.
“The talks are at an advanced stage, but nothing has been signed until now,” a Nasr official said.
Marwan bin Ghalita, the Nasr chairman, has also confirmed the move through his Twitter account. “Grew up in yellow [at Al Wasl], glittered in blue [the colours of Nasr], now hopefully, he continues his success in red [Al Ahli colours],” Bin Ghalita wrote.
Officials at Ahli have refused to comment, but sources claim an official announcement could be made in the coming hours.
Jazira have been chasing Fardan since the end of last season, but Nasr had dismissed the earlier approaches. The Dubai club, however, were forced to put their prized midfielder on the shopping window after failing to match the dizzying salaries he was being offered.
The player was left out of the Nasr team that travelled to Germany for their pre-season camp on August 1 as the club announced they had “received more than one offer and the club is in the process of studying them”.
Fardan is currently in Austria, training with the national team and he scored the UAE’s lone goal in the 2-1 loss to Italian club Udinese in a practise game last week.
He scored nine goals for Nasr in the AGL last season to finish at the top of the goal-scoring charts for Emiratis alongside Ahli’s Ahmed Khalil, and he was the Player of the Tournament as the Dubai club ended their long trophy drought with the GCC Club Championship title.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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