Al Nasr set to sign Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida

The signing of the Portuguese striker to a one-year deal will bring Al Nasr's association with suspended Senegalese striker Ibrahima Toure to an end, reports Ahmed Rizvi.

Hugo Almeida of Portugal, right, who is a free agent after turning down Turkish club Beisktas’ offer for an extension, arrived in Dubai on Friday night and had his medicals Saturday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

DUBAI // Al Nasr are set to sign Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida on a one-year deal, bringing their association with suspended Senegalese striker Ibrahima Toure to an end.

The 30-year-old Almeida, who is a free agent after turning down Turkish club Beisktas’ offer for an extension, arrived in Dubai on Friday night and had his medicals yesterday.

“Depending on the medicals, it will be a one-year deal with the option of extending the contract at the end of the season,” a Nasr source revealed. “Personal terms have been agreed and we should have an official deal within a day or two.”

Being a free agent, Almeida has been linked with several English clubs like West Ham, Leicester and Queens Park Rangers since leaving Besiktas, where he spent three seasons scoring 33 goals, in May. German club Eintracht Frankfurt and Italy’s Cesena were reportedly keen on his services as well, but none of the clubs could match Nasr’s offer.

Almeida has scored 19 goals for Portugal in 56 appearances and was a member of Paulo Bento’s squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but got injured in the opening game against eventual champions Germany after just 28 minutes.

Ironically, Nasr had approached the Portuguese, who has two European Championships and two World Cups on CV, last year as well, before opting for Toure.

The 28-year-old Senegalese striker, who still has two years remaining on his Nasr contract, is currently serving a three-match suspension after a clash with Baniyas’ Mohammed Jaber in the opening league match left the Emirati with a bloody cheek.

Nasr had suspended him “indefinitely” after the incident and have been looking for an replacement since. The club have also deducted 30 per cent of the player’s salary as punishment and also the Dh200,000 fine imposed on him by the Football Association’s disciplinary committee.

With Almeida’s arrival, Nasr’s top scorer of last season will be looking for a new home, with the Dubai club ready to send him out on a loan deal or a permanent transfer.

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