Michel Bastos is set to join Napoli, the Italian Serie A side, on loan for the remainder of the season, after Al Ain decided he no longer featured in their plans.
The transfer, which should be pushed through Friday, comes as a surprise, especially as the UAE champions had chased the Brazilian for two seasons before finally signing him in August from Lyon, the prominent French club, for €4 million (Dh20m). He had agreed to a three-year contract.
However, Al Ain have not been impressed with Bastos’s performances thus far, although he has regularly been employed at left-back despite initially being brought to the Garden City to play further forward. Bastos has repeatedly informed the club of his preference to perform a more attacking role.
The former Brazilian international, 30, is considered one of the most talented expatriates in the Arabian Gulf League, although he has not had the impact Al Ain expected. The significant upheaval at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium has not helped his transition to UAE football, though, with Bastos arriving at the club during Jorge Fossati’s short-lived tenure.
Having made his debut in the Super Cup, Bastos has made 19 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times. He has not featured for Quique Sanchez Flores’s side since suffering a broken arm in last month’s league fixture against Al Jazira.
It was thought the injury would rule out Bastos for six weeks, but that has not deterred Napoli from wishing to take the winger on a temporary deal. The Italians, currently third in Serie A, are also reportedly poised to sign another Brazilian, Jorginho, from league rivals Verona.
Once the deal for Bastos is finalised, Al Ain will recall Jires Kembo-Ekoko, the forward, from El Jaish in Qatar. The Frenchman, who scored 13 goals in his debut season for Al Ain, is still highly regarded by the club’s technical committee. It is thought they had suggested a straight swap for Bastos, but the player understandably chose to move to a top European side.
Bastos takes considerable European experience to Napoli; he played almost 200 matches in the French top flight while first representing Lille and then Lyon. He has appeared 28 times in the Uefa Champions League, too, and has 10 caps for the Brazilian national team.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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