Al Nasr new boy Wanderley is fired up to take the 2016 AFC Champions league by storm after his long-mooted switch from Sharjah was confirmed.
Wanderley, 27, officially joined the Blue Wave in mid-week after he signed a three-year contract. To facilitate the transfer, young forward Jamal Ibrahim moved in the opposite direction.
The deal for the Brazilian saw the Dubai side gain a lethal striker who has registered 32 goals in 51 Arabian Gulf League appearances for relegation battlers. He has immediately set his sights on the impending continental double header, with Qatar’s El Jaish standing in the way of a historic semi-final spot.
“I am proud to be joining a club like Al Nasr,” Wanderley told Nasr’s Twitter account. “I thank them for the confidence they have shown in me. You always dream of playing in the AFC Champions League, and now I can fulfil that dream with Al Nasr.”
Last term’s disappointing fifth-placed finishers in the AGL look much stronger for 2016/17, with Wanderley just one of several smart additions.
Outstanding ex-Al Jazira midfielder Abdelaziz Barrada has been brought back to the UAE from Marseille, recent Whites debutant Fawaz Awana has been acquired from Bani Yas and a permanent deal for centre-back Mubarak Saeed has been concluded with Emirates Club.
Meanwhile, Bani Yas have ended Brazilian central midfielder Fellipe Bastos’ spell in limbo at Al Ain.
Bastos, 26, replaces underwhelming winger Royston Drenthe in the Sky Blues’ four-player foreign quota.
He had become available after the Boss brought in winger Caio from Kashima Antlers.
The summer 2015 buy from Vasco Da Gama is a direct replacement for UAE regular Amer Abdulrahman, who moved the other way on July 2.
