Al Ahli have made their first move in the 2014 summer transfer window, and it could just be the one that keeps them ahead of their Arabian Gulf League rivals.
The Red Knights may have finished 16 points clear of the competition last season, but the teams below them have refused to stand still and in acquiring Mirel Radoi they have certainly strengthened their options.
Both Al Ain and Al Jazira have made significant, early signings and the champions were impelled to follow suit.
Adding Radoi on a free transfer may not set pulses racing, but then that is not a concern for coach Cosmin Olaroiu.
His primary objective is to win football matches, and with Radoi in his side he knows his chances of doing that are greatly improved.
The two men share a long history, beginning when Olaroiu took over at Steaua Bucuresti in 2006, and in that time they have forged a successful partnership, winning trophies in Romania, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Radoi is Olaroiu’s eyes and ears on the pitch.
It may be a cliche, but it could be seen up and down the UAE as Al Ain strode to back-to-back league titles after the countrymen were reunited in the Garden City in the summer of 2011.
Boss fans never truly warmed to Radoi during his time at the club, and that remains sad as he did so much for the club during his three years there.
It was Radoi’s discipline at the base of the midfield, alongside the veteran Helal Saeed, that allowed the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Omar Abdulrahman and for a time, Ignacio Scocco, to express themselves further up the pitch.
Not that his attributes are limited to breaking up opposing attacks.
He may only have scored two AGL goals in three seasons, but his intelligent pressing, and intuitive passing helped create countless opportunities for his team-mates.
Particularly in Asia, Al Ain always looked a better, more resolute side with Radoi on the pitch.
Yet once Olaroiu departed, the jeers and whistles from a section of the Boss support started.
There was a feeling that his trusted sidekick would eventually follow suit, and those fans were perhaps getting their retaliation in first.
That won’t bother either Radoi, or Olaroiu, as the pair now plot how to keep Ahli on top of the AGL.
Towards that aim, the midfielder’s value can be measured not only in what he brings to the Red Knights but in what signing him takes away from their competitors.
Jazira and the Boss have spent well, but both are crying out for the sort of leadership in the centre of midfield that Radoi guarantees.
If Hugo Viana is sacrificed to make way for the Romanian, his passing and vision will be sorely missed by Ahli.
But his replacement knows two things, how to play under Olaroiu and how to win.
A scary thought for those chasing the champions.
