Al Ahli have beaten the AFC Champions League clock to force through their first major signing of the summer, landing Benfica front-man Lima.
The Red Knights have until today to register new players for the quarter-finals, where they will meet Iran’s Naft Tehran for the first leg on August 26. They finally kicked into gear last night, securing the 32-year-old Brazilian on a two-year contract with an option for a third after they agreed a reported €7 million (Dh28.2m) transfer fee.
Lima’s arrival ends an exhaustive search for the leading centre-forward which was glaringly absent in their poor Arabian Gulf League title defence, just 35 goals being scored as they dropped to seventh place.
A lengthy number of players were pursued in recent weeks, attempts to secure the likes of Luiz Adriano from Shakhtar Donetsk, Burak Yilmaz from Galatasaray and Bafetimbi Gomis from Swansea failing.
“Al Ahli contracted with Brazilian striker Lima for a period of two years, renewable for one year,” Ahli’s website said. “He comes from Benfica in a high-calibre deal and is the first foreign professional signed this summer.”
In a busy day, promising 22-yearold forward Mohamed Al Khoori was also acquired from Al Dhafra on a part-exchange deal with defender Abdulrahman Yousef.
Lima joins Brazil playmaker Everton Ribeiro and South Korean defensive midfielder Kwon Kyung-won as guaranteed members of Ahli’s four-player foreign quota.
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A definitive decision on the final spot is yet to be taken by coach Cosmin Olaroiu and the technical staff.
Winger Ciel is currently the favourite ahead of unwanted winter signing Oussama Assaidi after he returned for the club’s pre-season training camp in Italy following a horrific double ankle fracture which kept him out of action for the 2014/15 campaign.
Ahli have pursued Fenerbahce’s Moussa Sow, but the sizeable €13m (Dh52.4m) fee needed to procure the 29-year-old Senegal wide-man is likely to mean they look in house.
Chile star Eduardo Vargas is also believed to have preferred to continue playing his club football in Europe rather than make an €11m (Dh44.4m) switch to Dubai, Napoli likely to sell him to CSKA Moscow, Valencia or Marseille.
In Lima, the Red Knights have bought a vastly-experienced star. He has played for 12 other clubs since he made his professional debut for Brazilian lower-league outfit Mixto in 2003, first coming to prominence when scoring 40 times in 98 appearances for Primeira Liga challengers Braga from 2010.
This form earned him a move to Portuguese giants Benfica in August 2012. Lima proved an astute purchase, 70 goals in 144 games helping secure six pieces of silverware including the 2013/14 and 2014/15 top-flight titles.
He excelled as a lone striker in departed head coach Jorge Jesus’ favoured 4-2-3-1, a formation utilised by his new club.
Ahli have badly missed a front man of his standing since Grafite’s departure to Al Sadd in February.
They will be banking on Lima’s eye for goal to make up for the disappointment of missing out on Adriano, who preferred a move to AC Milan earlier this month rather than Rashid Stadium, despite a fee being agreed with Shakhtar.
