Al Wasl’s new signing Kaio Felipe claims he turned down clubs from Europe and the UAE to order to become Laurent Banide’s first signing at the Zabeel Stadium.
The Brazilian forward has been playing in Japan since 2008, playing for Cerezo Osaka and Yokohama FC in the Japanese Second Division before moving to Dubai.
“I had around four offers, two from Europe – one from Italy and one from Russia – and I had two offers in the UAE but I chose Al Wasl because I feel the club’s support will help me,” said Kaio.
The 25-year-old found the net on a regular basis in Japan, claiming to have scored “about 40 goals” in the last two years, and he hopes to replicate that form in the Emirates.
“I know Asian football and that Emirati football is rapid and speedy however I’d like to adapt to the team, I have my own style on the field and I know that the football in the UAE is adapting and growing very quickly. I have high aims and I’m looking forward to getting the results.
Kaio becomes the latest in a long line of Brazilians to ply their trade in the UAE and he admits to consulting with a few before sealing his move to the Cheetahs.
“I have a friendship and good relationship with three of the Brazilians in the UAE, Fernandinho and Ricardo Oliveira from Al Jazira and Lima from Al Nasr. I asked them about the league and they said I can reach my potential and I will get good support in the UAE.”
Kaio was unveiled at a press conference on Tuesday alongside club chairman Abdulla Hareb, who refused to reveal the whether the player had joined on loan or in a permanent deal, simply saying: “As long as he is doing well, he will be with us.”
Kaio seemed unfazed by the comment, saying: “I think that this answer is giving me the push to go on with the team and give me the push in the future support the team and to do my best and help Al Wasl.”
Wasl are still expected to make two more foreign signings with Ahmad Ibrahim and Achille Emana’s old spots up for grabs. But chairman Hareb said that no local players will be coming into the club over the close season.
“I will repeat, I am relying on Al Wasl players, we are relying on our youth team in addition to our foreign. There will be no transfers of local players from any clubs in the UAE.
New boss Laurent Banide was conspicuous by his absence Kaio’s unveiling, with the Frenchman currently overseas. But Hareb was insistent that Banide was a part of the transfer.
“When the coach met with the technical committee, they showed him a shortlist of names and he was interested in the choice of the committee and he like Kaio’s style and talent and he thinks he will help next season,” he said,
“In the last two months we have been working with the technical committee shoulder to shoulder choose between 300 striker, eventually we settled on Kaio.
“This player came after 300 players. Our technical basis is that he is physical, he is tall and he will support the team at the end of the field.”
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– New Al Wasl boss Banide to focus on club’s youth
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