Al Wasl’s wide fan base in the UAE encouraged new signing Ederson to join the Cheetahs, the Brazilian said at his unveiling in Dubai.
The 25-year-old, who has arrived to the Zabeel Stadium on a one-year loan deal from Atletico Paranaense, will be Wasl’s new No7 and vowed to reward the club’s loyal fans with a feast of goals.
The Brazilian forward was top-scorer of the Brasileirão 2012-13 season with Paranaense and hopes to deliver the same at Wasl in the upcoming season.
Ederson joins Neto Berola and Fabio Virginio de Lima as Wasl’s third Brazilian player under fellow countryman and head coach Jorginho.
“I am really delighted to be here and I hope to be a valuable addition to the team,” said Ederson. “This year, I did not do as well as I would have liked in Brazil, but I promise the Wasl fans will see me perform at a much higher level than I did in the Brazilian league this year.
“I know a lot about Al Wasl and I know how passionate their fans are, and that is one of the biggest reasons for me coming here. I had no hesitation accepting this offer. Football in Brazil is not very different to the football here, so I hope to settle in quickly and make the Wasl fans proud.”
Ederson provides a solution for Wasl as the club have been looking for a replacement for Ricardo Oliveira, who has not returned from Brazil to take part in the Dubai side’s pre-season training.
The club maintain that Oliveira remains on their payroll as his contract has yet to expire but have confirmed, through their spokesman Tariq Abdullah, that negotiations are in place to let the player go on amicable terms.
Majed Obaidallah, the Wasl team manager, said the club are taking their time in finalising their roster.
“We are in no rush to finalise our foreign players,” he said. “We will take our time. We still have Ricardo Oliveira, Emmanuel Culio and Edson Puch on our books, and in the coming days we will try to find solutions that are best for all parties concerned.”
