Dubai: Former Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan could be Maradona's first big foreign signing as coach of Al Wasl Club, according to club CEO Ashraf Ahmad Mohammad.
"He [Forlan] is one of the big names on the line, I can't deny that but we still haven't closed this deal. We are working on it. We are certainly doing our best to bring top things to this country, because the UAE deserves it," Mohammad told Gulf News yesterday.
Uruguayan striker Forlan, aged 31, currently plies his trade at Atletico Madrid but has previously represented Independiente, Manchester United and Villarreal.
His top honours include the 2010 Uefa Europa League and Super Cup titles while at Madrid, and the English Premier League and FA Cup trophies with Manchester in 2003 and 2004.
Internationally, Forlan led Uruguay to a shock fourth-place finish at the World Cup 2010 where he was crowned Player of the Tournament. He is two goals away from equalling Uruguay's all-time top scorer's record and six games from taking most caps for his country.
Mohammad added: "Mr Maradona told us where our weaknesses lie after watching the videos of our matches and we are now working towards correcting that. He knows that we've signed Chilean midfielder Edson Puch, and he's seen Francisco Yeste and Mohammad Shaiba. He's now talking about a striker and I think that we've given him that opportunity."
Asked if current Al Wasl striker Alexandre Oliveira was on his way out of the club Mohammad said: "He has a few games left until the end of the season, after that we will decide. Anything can happen in three games. I can't confirm technical aspects."
Right players
Along with Edson Puch, other signings for next season also include two Emirati defenders, Ali Rabih of Emirates Club and Mubarak Hassan of Fujairah.
Mohammad said: "If we give Maradona the right players and assistant I don't see where he will fail. We are working with him hand-in-hand to make him successful. If we watch the show from afar and don't solve these problems immediately it will be a disaster. But if we're hand-in-hand from the beginning we will reach our goals and have our glory. Maradona will do his job but he must have the tools." Forlan and Maradona became close friends in the early Nineties while raising money for the Alejandra Forlan Foundation. Alejandra, Forlan's sister, was paralysed in a 1991 car accident which also claimed the life of her boyfriend.
