Al Jazira winger Leonardo is surprisingly being offered to clubs just six months after signing for AGL champions

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  • Arabian Gulf League champions Al Jazira are prepared to field offers for Brazilian winger Leonardo just six months since buying him.

    Leonardo, 30, scored six times in 14 top-flight run-outs after he was recruited from 2016 AFC Champions League winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea for a cut-price €3.8 million (Dh14.7m).

    Despite making a positive impact in Henk ten Cate’s resurgent side, intermediaries and agents have been informed he could be made available for loan or permanent transfer as changes to the four-player non-Emirati quota are considered.

    The Pride of Abu Dhabi are close to confirming the exciting capture of dynamic Uzbekistan winger Sardor Rashidov from dissolved Qatari club El Jaish.

    They have already wrapped up impressive free transfers for ex-France defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra and Al Ahli forward Ahmed Khalil – the 15-goal second-top scorer during World Cup 2018 qualification, for the UAE.

    A potential new team for Leonardo could be found in Saudi Arabia, where Al Nassr have been strongly linked following last week’s decision to increase the foreign quota there to six from four. For Jazira, they are exploring the possibility of securing a switch for Jaish’s electric Brazilian forward Romarinho.

    The 26-year-old has rocketed in 40 Qatar Stars League goals in 72 appearances since a €7.5m (Dh36.2m) transfer from Corinthians in September 2014. He could yet be made surplus to requirements at the new Al Duhail, following April’s merger between Jaish and QSL holders Lekhwiya.

    Leonardo scored four goals in his first three games in the UAE, but his influence waned with just two more in his final 11 matches of 2016/17.

    If Leonardo is allowed to exit, it will continue Jazira’s capricious behaviour with foreign buys. Brazil playmaker Thiago Neves and Chile forward Jefferson Farfan left after little more than a year last winter.

    Jazira have chosen not to renew the expired deals of South Korea anchorman Park Jong-woo and Brazilian attacker Ailton Almeida.

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