Abu Dhabi: New Al Ain signing Caio has revealed he snubbed offers from the German Bundesliga and the Chinese Super League in favour of a move to the Garden City outfit.
The 22-year-old Brazilian winger, who joined The Boss from Japan’s J1 League side Kashima Antlers last month, said he was delighted to have joined a club featuring “a galaxy of soccer stars”.
He hailed Al Ain’s midfield talisman, Omar Abdul Rahman, as the best player in Asia in a glowing eulogy to his new club.
Speaking from the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria, where Al Ain lost their second friendly 2-0 to Italian Serie A outfit Bologna on Saturday, Caio said: “I had several offers from other clubs, including some in the Chinese Super League, and one from the German Bundesliga, but I was happy to join Al Ain given the desire of such a big club. I do not think there is a club in world football that owns three international-standard pitches, including one of the best football stadiums in the world [the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium].”
Al Ain are training in Europe ahead of the first leg of their AFC Champions quarter-final against Lokomotiv Tashkent on August 23.
Elsewhere, Al Jazira secured their first foreign signing of the summer on Saturday with the capture of the Morocco playmaker Mbark Boussoufa on a two-year deal.
Boussoufa, 31, has joined the Pride of Abu Dhabi on a free transfer after his contract at Russian giants Lokomotiv Moscow expired.
As Gulf News has reported, Jazira remain in negotiations with Newcastle United for the signature of the English Championship side’s defensive midfielder, Cheick Tiote.
