IKOLI VICTOR
doha
Al Duhail have announced the signing of Japan’s Shuya Nakatima from Portuguese first division club Portimonense. The announcement was made on their official Twitter account on Sunday.
Nakajima, who trained with his Al Duhail teammates, was signed to replace South Korean playmaker Nam Tae Hee, who’s out for the rest of the season due to cruciate ligament injury.
The Blue Samurai star himself was withdrawn from the squad for the AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates due to injury, where Japan lost 3-1 to Qatar in the tournament’s final on Friday.
The left-winger will be a massive reinforcement for the QNB Stars League champions who will return to league action against Al Sailiya on Saturday. The 24-year-old is expected to be drafted straight into the main team for his league debut on Saturday.
As part of improving the team, Duhail parted ways with former Tunisian World Cup coach Nabil Maaloul for Portuguese Rui Faria, an associate of Jose Mourinho.
The six-time league champions are two points behind leaders Al Sadd SC. Duhail last week lost the QSL Cup against Al Gharafa and will hope the Blue Samurai export delivers the results for the Reed Knights.
The league champions have also added former Juventus and Morocco international Mehdi Benatia to their ranks. Ahmad has rejoined Duhail after a completing a loan spell with Vissel Kobeof Japan.
According to different reports, including Japan’s Nikkan Sports, have reported that the star playmaker has been bought by Al Duhail for a rumored transfer fee of €35 million ($40 million).
If correct, the figure would be a record for the transfer of a Japanese player, outstripping the roughly $29 million Parma paid to acquire Hidetoshi Nakata from Roma in 2001, according to Nikkan Sports.
The former FC Tokyo player was previously linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Portimonense reportedly rejected a transfer bid from the English Premier League side.
After being left out of the squad for last summer’s World Cup, Nakajima has emerged as one of Japan’s next generation of stars under new manager Hajime Moriyasu.
doha
Al Duhail have announced the signing of Japan’s Shuya Nakatima from Portuguese first division club Portimonense. The announcement was made on their official Twitter account on Sunday.
Nakajima, who trained with his Al Duhail teammates, was signed to replace South Korean playmaker Nam Tae Hee, who’s out for the rest of the season due to cruciate ligament injury.
The Blue Samurai star himself was withdrawn from the squad for the AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates due to injury, where Japan lost 3-1 to Qatar in the tournament’s final on Friday.
The left-winger will be a massive reinforcement for the QNB Stars League champions who will return to league action against Al Sailiya on Saturday. The 24-year-old is expected to be drafted straight into the main team for his league debut on Saturday.
As part of improving the team, Duhail parted ways with former Tunisian World Cup coach Nabil Maaloul for Portuguese Rui Faria, an associate of Jose Mourinho.
The six-time league champions are two points behind leaders Al Sadd SC. Duhail last week lost the QSL Cup against Al Gharafa and will hope the Blue Samurai export delivers the results for the Reed Knights.
The league champions have also added former Juventus and Morocco international Mehdi Benatia to their ranks. Ahmad has rejoined Duhail after a completing a loan spell with Vissel Kobeof Japan.
According to different reports, including Japan’s Nikkan Sports, have reported that the star playmaker has been bought by Al Duhail for a rumored transfer fee of €35 million ($40 million).
If correct, the figure would be a record for the transfer of a Japanese player, outstripping the roughly $29 million Parma paid to acquire Hidetoshi Nakata from Roma in 2001, according to Nikkan Sports.
The former FC Tokyo player was previously linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Portimonense reportedly rejected a transfer bid from the English Premier League side.
After being left out of the squad for last summer’s World Cup, Nakajima has emerged as one of Japan’s next generation of stars under new manager Hajime Moriyasu.