Dubai: "Many clubs throughout Europe are interested in Andre Senghor," according to the Bani Yas striker's Norwegian agent Ole Ray Grodset, who is in the UAE this week meeting with club officials and the player.
The Senegalese striker, aged 25, came painstakingly close to signing for FK Aalesunds of Norway in August of last year after topping the UAE scorers list for 2010/11 with 18 goals, but the deal said to be worth more than Dh6 million fell through at the last minute after Bani Yas reportedly raised the bar to Dh8.5 million.
Senghor, who posts news reports speculating his departure on his own Facebook page and states his wish to play in Europe on scouting websites has since replaced French agent Bertrand Couly for Norwegian Ole Ray Grodset, with the agent's nationality thought to be anything but a coincidence.
No1 target
A union of investors behind the scenes at FK Aalesunds has now put enough money together for a striker in the January transfer window and it appears Senghor, whose contract expires in the summer, is still their number one target after last year's league campaign [in the Tippeliegen] saw them finish ninth with top scorers Magnus Olsen and Demar Phillips bagging just seven apiece.
Should Senghor wish to pursue European football, Aalesunds can also boast Uefa Europa League play-off participation thanks to their Norwegian Cup win. Halfway into the 2011/12 season, Senghor has already scored five in ten games for Bani Yas after a disjointed season following a run of three managers. Lotfi Benzarti was fired and replaced by Jorvan Vieira at the end of last season, who was also terminated after just three games into this season and replaced by Gabriel Calderon.
Star summer signing David Trezeguet made just four appearances before heading for River Plate and with the only other foreigners at the club being Antonin Koutouan and Fawzi Basheer, Bani Yas will desperately want to hang on to Senghor while bringing in a fourth foreigner over the winter to take them out of a precarious league position.
Bani Yas media spokesperson Musaad Al Harthy said: "There is no proposed move for Andre Senghor, we have heard nothing on this matter. He will remain a Bani Yas player."
But Grodset said: "Several clubs from all over Europe have been in contact regarding Andre Senghor but the player is very happy here at Bani Yas, they have treated him very well and been incredibly professional. He likes to be in Abu Dhabi so it's still possible he'll stay. Nothing is 100 per cent."
FK Aalesunds officials wouldn't be drawn into potential targets but their coach Kjetil Rekdal has continually implied to Norwegian press that a striker who score a guaranteed 10-15 goals a season would put them within sight of the title.
Criticised
Senghor was highly criticised by former coach Vieira for failing to return to pre-season training on time at the start of this season, he was released to represent Senegal in Peru but was later found to be flouting his credentials around to a host of clubs in France, Belgium and Norway when he should have been in Abu Dhabi. He hasn't been selected by his national team for the forthcoming African Nations but a move to Europe would surely put him back in coach Amara Traore's sights.
