Dubai: Al Wasl confirmed the signing of Portuguese winger Helder Barbosa on a two-year deal from AEK Athens on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old former Porto and Braga midfielder completes The Cheetahs’ foreign quartet after Brazilian pair Caio Correa and Fabio Lima were retained and compatriot forward Ronaldo Mendes joined from Comercial Vicosa last month.
Al Wasl finished sixth last season and narrowly missed out on a top three finish, thus Asian Champions League qualification, after a collapse of just one win in the last seven games of the season.
Coach Gabriel Calderon was replaced by fellow Argentine and former Boca Juniors boss Rodolfo Arruabarrena in June.
“The mission is to be top of the league and in the final of all cups,” Arruabarrena said of Al Wasl, who haven’t won a league title since 2007.
“We know we have the players to do it, but it’s not enough to just say we are going to do it, we have to go out there and do it on the field.
“Other teams may have more money to spend but I don’t care, on the field it’s just 11 against 11 and if we carry on working the way we have started I have no doubt that we can reach the top.”
