Oliviera rejoins Jazira as league leaders make a push for first title

The Pro League's most expensive signing arrives on Wednesday to rejoin the league-leaders for the second half of the season.

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Ricardo Oliveira, the Pro League's most expensive signing, arrives on Wednesday to rejoin the league-leaders Al Jazira for the second half of the season.

A club official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed the 30-year-old Brazilian's arrival as a replacement for Tony, the Ivorian forward, during the mid-season transfer window, which opened yesterday.

Oliveira was loaned to Sao Paulo after a disappointing first campaign. He scored eight goals in 2009/10 but suffered a leg injury that required surgery. He missed most of the season's second half.

Jazira spent Dh85 million on the former AC Milan, Real Zargoza and Real Betis forward in the summer of 2009, adding him to the shopping spree of the previous year when they spent Dh62m on Rafael Sobis - the previous record signing - also from Betis.

The Abu Dhabi club ended the season by winning the Etisalat Cup but were runners-up for a third consecutive year in the league. However, they are top of the table at the moment, five points clear of their nearest challengers, Baniyas.

Oliveira will join Bare, the Brazilian striker, who moved from Al Ahli in the summer, and Matias Delgado, the Argentine midfielder from Turkish side Besiktas in Jazira's foreign contingent. Tony's future is yet to be decided. He may go to another club; the transfer window open until January 23.

Al Shabab have signed Jociel Ferreira, a 28-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder, for the injured Julio Cesar. The Dubai club sit mid-table on 16 points, 13 behind Jazira.

Al Ain will be looking to fill in their quota after this week's camp in Abu Dhabi. The nine-time league champions signed Alexandre Gallo, the 42-year-old Brazilian for the remaining six months of the season after sacking Abdulhameed al Mishtiki, the Emirati.

Meanwhile, South Korea will play Jazira in a friendly at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium at 6.30pm tomorrow in a tune-up before their Asian Cup campaign in Qatar.