Dubai: South Korean midfielder Lee Yong-rae could be an Al Nasr player by the end of the week, according to his regional agent Ahmad Al Falasi.
Rae, aged 25, of Suwon Bluewings is said to be eyeing a move to the UAE after stints with Gyeongnam FC and Bluewings after a promising youth career at Yusung BST High School, France's FC Metz and Korea University.
But his signing with Al Nasr is only on the condition that the Bluewings can confirm an adequate replacement first.
"The Bluewings coach Yoon Sung Hyo wants to sign a Brazilian midfielder. That deal is taking time," Al Falasi explained.
"Until they can confirm the Brazilian's signing they can't release Yong-rae for sure. The coach wants to be fair. He doesn't want one of the two stuck on the bench next season. Sung Hyo will release him as soon as the Brazilian arrives," he added.
"Yong-rae is Al Nasr's first choice and the player agrees to the move. We are not yet in the negotiation phase because of the situation in South Korea. This should take four or five days to resolve. Both the player and the Suwon chairman are in favour of a move — only the coach of Suwon is the problem."
Yong-rae had been wrongly identified by the local Arabic press this week as former Tottenham, PSV and Borussia Dortmund performer Lee Young Pyu, a 34-year-old defender renowned for his performances with the South Korean national team at three World Cups.
It is understood this player will remain at Seoul FC where he is under contract for two years.
Instead the much younger Yong-rae is a relatively less-known performer with the national team's U17, U20 and senior ranks.
A chance in the UAE could be just the springboard needed to rejuvenate his career after failing to impress at Bluewings in just one season at the club. Previously he had played two seasons with Gyeongnam, playing 65 scoring ten.
With all UAE clubs now needing a fourth foreigner of exclusive Asian descent, Yong-rae would fit in well among the retained — Leo Lima (Brazil), Carlos Tenorio (Ecuador) and Esmail Bangoura (Guinea) — as Al Nasr venture into the Asian Champions League next season after finishing third last season under coach Walter Zenga.
No one at the club was able to comment on the speculation regarding Yong-rae's papers being with Al Nasr.
Meanwhile Al Ahli Club's chairman Abdullah Al Naboodah has expressed via social networking site Twitter.com that the club were after an East Asian player to fill the void left by retired centre back Fabio Cannavaro. Left or centre defence is a key area according to sources.
Feelers
The club has received feelers from agents representing 28-year-old Saudi Arabian defensive midfielder Mohammad Massad Al Muwallad Al Harbi, who plays for Al Ahli Jeddah.
Massad was called into the Saudi squad for World Cup 2006 and can drop back into a central or left back position.
Josip Simunic, an Australian-born Croatian, could bend the Asian player rule slightly and join under his Australian passport despite playing for the Croatian national team with 86 appearances since 2001.
Famous for being given three yellow cards in one match (technically impossible as two yellows require a red) by referee Graham Poll at World Cup 2006, Simunic is a 33-year-old centre-back who has played for Melbourne Knights, SV Hamburger, Hertha BSC and 1899 Hoffenheim.
Another player offered by agents to fill Al Ahli's defensive void is Musead Neda Al Enezi, a 28-year-old Kuwaiti wing-back on loan to Saudi's Al Shabab from Kuwait's Al Qadisiya, His Kuwait side won last November's Gulf Cup in Yemen.
No one at Al Ahli would confirm the club's stance on their Asian vacancy.
Whoever joins will be linking up with confirmed foreign signings — Luis Jimenez (Chile), Grafite and Jaja Coelho (Brazil).
Only six clubs have confirmed their Asian performers to date, rousing criticism of teams for a slow reaction to the rule change (made June 26) of a fourth foreign player of Asian descent. Most are already well into the pre-season without an Asian player among their ranks.
Shabab has Uzbek national Azizbek Haydarov, Dubai has Bahrain's Faouzi Ayesh, Bani Yas has retained Oman's Fawzia Bashir as has Al Wasl with Oman's Mohammad Shaiba, Sharjah has Iranian Eman Mobali and Emirates has fellow Iranian Pejman Noori.
Foreign pros at UAE Clubs
Al Ahli
- Coach: Ivan Hasek (CZE)
- MID Luis Antonio Jimenez Garces (CHL)
- ATT Edinaldo Batista Libanio ‘Grafite' (BRA)
- ATT Jakson Avelino Coelho ‘Jaja' (BRA)
Al Ain
- Coach: Cosmin Olariou (ROM)
- MID Mirel Radoi (ROM)
- ATT Ignacio Scocco (ARG)
Ajman
- Coach: Abdul Qader (IRQ)
- MID Karim Kerkar (FRE)
- ATT Ibrahima Toure (SEN)
- ATT Olivier Tia Tokbe (IVO)
Bani Yas
- Coach: Jorvan Vieira (BRA)
- MID Fawzi Basheer (OMA)*
- ATT Andre Senghor (SEN)*
- DEF Sergio Gonzalo Rodriguez (URU)
Dubai
- Coach: Nestor Clausen (ARG)
- - MID Faouzi Mubarak Aaish (BAH/MOR)
- - ATT Patrick Fabiano Alves (BRA)
- - MID Simon Feindouno (GUI)
- - ATT Aboubacar M'Baye Camara (GUI)*
Emirates Rak
- Coach: Ghazi Ghrairi (TUN)
- MID Pejman Nouri (IRA)
- MID Mohsine Moutouali (MOR)
- ATT Alhassane Keita (GUI)
- ATT Jawad Ouaddouch (MOR)
Al Jazira
- Coach: VACANT
- MID Matias Delgado (ARG)*
- ATT Ricardo Oliviera (BRA)*
- ATT Jader Volnei Spindler ‘Bare' (BRA)*
Al Nasr
- Coach: Walter Zenga
- MID Leo Lima (BRA)*
- ATT Carlos Tenorio (ECU)*
- ATT Esmail Bengoura (GUI)*
Al Shabab
- Coach: Paulo Bonamigo (BRA)
- MID Carlos Villanueva (CHL)*
- ATT Jociel Ferreira da Silva ‘Ciel' (BRA)*
- MID Julio Cesar do Nascimento (BRA)*
- DEF Azizbek Haydarov (UZB)
Al Sharjah
- Coach: Carlos Azenha (POR)
- ATT Iman Mobali (IRA)
- ATT Marcelo Oliveira Silva ‘Marcelinho' (BRA)*
- MID Eder Luciano "Edinho' (BRA)
Al Wahda
- Coach: Josef Hickersberger (AUS)
- DEF Marcio Rodrigues ‘Magrao' (BRA)*
- MID Hugo Henrique Assis do Nascimento ‘Hugo' (BRA)*
- ATT Jaoa Fernando Nelo ‘Baiano' (BRA)*
Al Wasl
- Coach: Diego Maradona (ARG)
- MID Edson Puch (CHL)
- DEF Mohammad Shaiba (OMA)*
- ATT Juan Manuel Olivera (URU)
- MID Mariano Donda (ARG)
- *retained
