Dubai: Al Nasr have made a €5 million (Dh25 million) bid for Cameroonian striker Pierre Webo of Turkey’s Fenerbahce, according to reports.
Webo, 32, has just returned from the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil where he came on as a late second half substitute for The Indomitable Lions in their three group stage defeats against Mexico 1-0, Croatia 4-0 and Brazil 4-1.
Brazil was Webo’s second World Cup appearance after 2010, where he featured in two group stage defeats against Japan 1-0 and Denmark 2-1.
Formerly of Spanish clubs Osasuna and Mallorca, Webo has scored 18 goals in 59 appearances for his country. He scored nine in 26 matches for Fenerbahce last season but enjoyed his finest form in his first season with Istanbul in 2011/12 where he scored 15 goals in 36 matches. Webo could earn €2.8 million a season at Al Nasr if the deal goes through.
Al Nasr board member Fahid Hadi denied the approach for Webo when contacted by Gulf News but said there may be changes at the club after July 12 when the team rejoins for pre-season training. “There are a lot of rumours about signings but there is nothing in this,” he said. “The head coach [Ivan Jovanovic] has already given his suggestions to the technical committee and we might make some changes. Brazilian striker Eder Luis is injured and could be out until midway through the season so we are looking to replace him.”
Al Nasr also have Senegalese striker Ebrahima Toure, Brazilian midfielder Leo Lima and Australian midfielder Brett Holman in their ranks, but Hadi said they were likely to remain.
“All those who were highly rated last season will stay. We are only looking to make minor changes with a few good local signings.”
Webo is the third Fenerbahce player to have been scouted by UAE clubs in recent weeks. Al Ain have just signed Slovakian winger Miroslav Stoch on loan from the Istanbul outfit. Al Jazira had also been keen on Fenerbahce’s Senegalese forward Moussa Sow before signing Montenegrin striker Mirko Vucinic from Juventus and Burkinabe winger Jonathan Pitroipa from Rennes.
Elsewhere, Scottish champions Celtic have reportedly made a move for Al Ahli’s Iraqi midfielder Humam Tariq. The 18-year-old, dubbed the Iraqi-Messi by fans, was bought as an investment by the Arabian Gulf League champions from Baghdad’s Al Quwa Al Jawiya last season after he led Iraq to the semi-finals of the 2013 Fifa Under-20 World Cup.
Tariq became the youngest player to represent Iraq’s senior team aged 16 in a friendly against Tunisia in 2012. He has gone on to score three goals in 15 appearances for the Lions of Mesopotamia and has been linked to a spate of European clubs.
Former Celtic defender Roy Aitken is the director of football at Al Ahli and is believed to be influential in negotiations between the two clubs.
Al Ahli’s Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu admitted Celtic’s interest and said a decision would be made in the coming days.
“We have received a formal offer from Celtic,” he said. “We travel to a training camp in Germany this month. During that time, we will sit down and assess Humam’s situation and decide whether we will accept the offer from the Scottish club.”
