Dubai: Al Ahli Chairman Abdullah Al Naboudah has denied any knowledge of the club's reported interest in out-of-contract Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood.
"I have no idea about this. From my side there are no talks. I've never heard his name," Al Naboudah told Gulf News yesterday.
Al Ahli's Sporting Director Mark Bell added, "We've had zero contact with the player. He's never been mentioned. I haven't got a clue where they got this from. It's just paper talk."
Mirror Football reported on Sunday that the 30-year-old Englishman was considering a lucrative two-year contract with David O'Leary's new club.
If true, such a move would complete Al Ahli's three-foreign-player allowance with Harewood joining Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro and Brazilian playmaker "Pinga" Andre Luciano da Silva. Harewood would be coach David O'Leary's first signing at the club.
Starting his career at Nottingham Forest in 1996, Harewood's experience was bolstered by successful loan spells with Haka, where he won the Norwegian league and cup double in 1998 and Ipswich Town where he netted one goal in six appearances in 1999.
Building a deadly strike partnership with David Johnson back at Forest, he scored 55 goals in 196 appearances with the Championship side before switching to West Ham in 2003.
At West Ham he collected Championship Playoff and FA Cup runners-up medals also netting 14 times in his first top flight season.
Moving to Villa for Dh22.5 million in 2007, he fast became a fans' favourite with some spirited super-sub appearances, but he was later phased out with the club's signing of Emile Heskey. He spent the first part of 2009 with a disappointing loan spell at Wolverhampton, before joining Newcastle on loan to score five from 15. He returned to Villa injured, without a new contract offer for the 2010/11 season.
