Moussa Sow vows to ‘give back’ to Al Ahli after shunning West Ham and Sunderland for UAE

John McAuley reports on the arrival of Moussa Sow in Dubai from Fenerbahce for a UAE record €16 million (Dh66.2m) – and considers how this strengthens already formidable Al Ahli.

Al Ahli’s new signing Moussa Sow, left, was introduced by the club’s chief executive Ahmed Khalifa in Dubai on Wednesday. Alex Atack for The National
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DUBAI // Moussa Sow, Al Ahli's new signing, says he will not be burdened by the substantial outlay the club paid to bring him to the UAE.

The Senegalese striker, 29, was introduced to the media at the Rashid Stadium on Wednesday having completed a reported €16 million (Dh66m) transfer from Fenerbahce.

Sow, who has agreed to a four-year deal, received another €1m from Ahli to compensate for lost loyalty bonuses owed by the Turkish Super Lig club.

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The fee makes the forward one of the most expensive acquisitions in UAE football history, although he insists it serves simply as motivation to ensure he becomes a success at Ahli.

“I heard this is one of the biggest transfers here in the Emirates and I’m happy to have that much value in me,” Sow said. “I’m trying to give back what the club paid for me and attempting to do my best. I received a few offers from England and other teams in the UAE, but I have been here many times and, after I spoke with my family and friends, I decided to come to Al Ahli club.

“It’s a project I like, I feel safe with the people here and they helped me come here. I heard the club has had lots of big players pass through, such as Grafite and Fabio Cannavaro, which gave me more information about the club and helped me make my decision.”

Sow said he rejected proposals from the Premier League’s West Ham United and Sunderland in particular, since he had been impressed by Ahli’s commitment to recruiting him. The 2013/14 Arabian Gulf League champions first registered an interest in the player last year.

In joining Ahli, Sow will play alongside fellow foreigners Rodrigo Lima, Everton Ribeiro and Kwon Kyung-won. Ciel and Oussama Assaidi are free to pursue employment elsewhere, with both forwards currently assessing offers from clubs in the UAE top flight.

Sow is not available for Ahli’s 2015 Asian Champions League campaign – they contest the second leg of their quarter-final with Naft Tehran later this month – but he has vowed to help fire his new club to domestic and continental glory in future.

Sow scored 52 times in 107 Super Lig appearances for Fenerbahce, while he finished top scorer in the 2010/11 season at Lille as the club lifted the Ligue 1 title for the first time in 57 years.

“I thank everybody that’s helped me get to this great club, to give me this opportunity and to be part of it,” Sow said.

“I was a professional for many years in Europe, playing in big clubs in different countries, and since three or four years ago I decided to come to the Middle East. We tried in the past, but always stayed in Europe.

“This year I decided to come because the club made a lot of effort and showed they were very, very keen to have me. I want to be part of the club and I’m happy to try with Lima and the rest of the players to reach the maximum for Al Ahli. That’s why I came to this big club: to support them in the future to reach our goals.”

jmcauley@thenational.ae

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