Al Ahli officials tied up a deal for Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi on Monday night as they try to re-invigorate their ailing Arabian Gulf League title defence.
Assaidi has been on loan at Premier League side Stoke City for the past two seasons but manager Mark Hughes confirmed on Sunday that the deal has been ended early to allow the player to complete negotiations.
The Red Knights tweeted a picture last night of club officials, including director of football Roy Aitken, at Anfield posing with the Moroccan after a fee in the region of £4.7 million (Dh26.2m) was agreed with the 26-year-old signing a three-and-a-half year contract.
الاهلي يتعاقد مع الﻻعب المغربي اسامة السعيدي لمدة ثﻻثة سنوات ونصف قادما من ليفربول الانجليزي pic.twitter.com/a2r3Lq21ii
— Al Ahli Club (@AlAhliClub) January 12, 2015
Assaidi is expected to fill in for the seriously-injured Ciel. The former Al Shabab man is currently walking without the aid of crutches after suffering a double ankle fracture in the season-opening victory against Ajman, though he is several months away from a first-team return.
A lack of pace and invention has hamstrung Cosmin Olaroiu’s men in his absence, slumping from run-away champions to sixth. Their 21-goal haul is the lowest in the top-half of the table.
Assaidi will also be a potent weapon when the 2015 AFC Champions League kicks off on February 25. Ahli are keen to ensure there is no repeat of last season’s disappointing group-stage exit, with the ambitious move for a player with decent Premier League experience expected to negate that possibility.
The release of flop summer signing Mirel Radoi opened up a foreign player slot which the Dutch-raised Morocco international has now filled.
Further additions have not been ruled out, with rumours continuing to link club captain Grafite with an exit. “I continue to make my work, I will not fight and I am not angry with anybody,” the former Brazil international said last week.
Assaidi has struggled to make an impression at Anfield since joining from Dutch side Heerenveen in the summer of 2012, making just 12 appearances for the Reds.
He subsequently made his first temporary switch to the Potters in August 2013, scoring five goals in 25 appearances in all competitions. Another season-long switch was concluded last summer, though his nine PL games this term have
included only one start.
