Baniyas target defender Hamdan Al Kamali from Al Wahda

Al Kamali, 25, a UAE national team defender, has played regularly for Wahda since making his senior debut in 2006, and in 2012 spent six months on loan at Lyon, the French Ligue 1 side, writes John McAuley.

Al Wahda defender Hamdan Al Kamali has caught the attention of Baniyas as the club has requested his services for the upcoming Arabian Gulf League season. Razan Alzayani / The National

Baniyas have enquired about signing Hamdan Al Kamali, the UAE international defender, from Arabian Gulf League rivals Al Wahda.

The Abu Dhabi club, who last season finished ninth in the league table, submitted a formal letter on Sunday as they seek to improve for next season. Baniyas see Al Kamali as a replacement for Mohammed Fawzy, the Emirati who was traded to Al Ain earlier this month.

Signing Al Kamali would represent quite a coup, given his status as one of the country’s finest defenders. Al Kamali, 25, has played regularly for Wahda since making his senior debut in 2006, and in 2012 spent six months on loan at Lyon, the French Ligue 1 side. However, he never featured in their first team. Last season, he made 20 league appearances as Wahda finished second.

For the UAE national team, Al Kamali usually forms an integral component of Mahdi Ali’s emergent side. He played all three matches at the 2012 London Olympics, and last year was part of the team that clinched the Gulf Cup. His CV convinced Baniyas to make a bid.

“At the moment, we’ve simply sent the letter to Al Wahda asking for the permanent transfer and we will wait for their response,” said Khaled Al Junaibi, a club spokesman. “We have a space in defence and identified Al Kamali to fill it, because he is one of the best in the league.”

Baniyas are also currently in the market for three foreign players, since Carlos Munoz, the Chilean striker, was the only expatriate retained from last season.

Luis Garcia, the new manager, spent the past week assessing his squad, with Baniyas eager to finalise their roster before embarking on a training camp in Europe next month.

They have been linked with a move for Jose Rojas, Munoz’s compatriot who plies his trade at Universidad de Chile, but the club have not confirmed whether he is a target.

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