Al Ahli playmaker Luis Jimenez has ruled out a return home to Chile anytime soon as he is confident of negotiating an extension to his stay at the defending Arabian Gulf League champions.
Jimenez, who is registered as Ahli’s Asian player after getting Palestinian papers before the start of the 2013/14 season, has been linked to a number of Chilean clubs in recent weeks, including Colo-Colo and University of Chile, but the 30-year-old former Lazio, Inter and Parma midfielder insisted such a move was not possible as he has no plans to leave the Rashid Stadium.
“I do not know where they have got this news from,” the midfielder, who last played in the Chilean championship in 2002 for Palestino before moving to Italy, said in Chilean media.
“The truth is it is impossible for me to move to Chile at this moment.”
Jimenez, who arrived at Ahli in 2011 after nine seasons in Italy, is hoping to sit down with the management in January to discuss an extension to his contract, which expires at the end of this season.
“The truth is I am very comfortable here and the club treats me very well,” Jimenez said.
“I do not want to leave and the club management has promised to sit down with me in January to discuss a contract extension.”
Meanwhile, Ahli have failed in their bid to bring in Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero from Brazilian club Corinthians.
Guerrero, who at US$4 million (Dh14.7m) a year is among the highest-paid football stars in the Americas, was reportedly offered a three-year deal, worth $5m a year, by Ahli. Guerrero was expected to make the deal official in January.
According to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, however, Guerrero has changed his mind since and rejected Ahli’s offer, and the negotiations between the two parties have come to a standstill.
arizvi@thenational.ae
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
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Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars