Dubai: Elias' expected move from Atletico Goianiense to Al Ain looks to have fallen through at the last minute.
The Brazilian Serie A league's joint top scorer (with nine) was unofficially confirmed as having signed by sources at the club earlier this week in an exclusive by Gulf News.
However an expired passport looks to have wrecked Al Ain's ambition to land the 27-year-old striker before the UAE transfer deadline expired at midnight last night.
A source close to the deal said: "His passport expired two months ago and his club [Atletico Goianiense] failed to inform him. Brazilian footballers used to be granted a replacement passport in one day but since numerous fake passport scandals emanating from the country the process now takes a week which would surpass the transfer deadline."
Bad timing
The source added: "Unless the transfer deadline extends for some reason, the possibility of us overcoming this issue is zero — impossible."
Meanwhile Brazilian football websites Futebolinterior.com and fanaticosporfutebol.com quoted Elias' agent in Brazil as saying Elias would only move to Al Ain at the end of the Brazilian Serie A season in December anyway.
Marcio Bittencourt said: "The proposal of the emirates is good, but the timing is bad for any output. I spoke with the Atletico Goianiense staff and we agreed."
Bittencourt implied Elias would stay on until the end of the season to see Goianiense out of their relegation battle by means of thanking them for giving him this platform on which to perform.
"Elias has an affection for the club and knows that timing is delicate. But surely things will work out even better at the end of the year [December] when, more valued, Elias may leave for a very good sum."
Bittencourt didn't mention Al Ain's offer but said they had to "put their hands in their pockets" to tempt the 27-year-old away from major offers with Atletico Madrid and Benfica — who are competing in Europa League and Champions League football respectively this season.
The source close to the deal seemed to think Al Ain would not bother holding out until the January transfer window for the player, if this was the case.
This leaves Al Ain in a tough situation having seen Jorge Valdivia flee to Palmeiras just days before the start of the season, and having lost Soufianne Alloudi to injury.
This leaves only Jose Sand and Ebrahima Keita fit with the third and final foreign player allocation left unfilled.
No one at Al Ain Club could confirm the situation until after print last night.
