Swansea City have confirmed they did receive an approach from Al Ahli for Bafetimbi Gomis, but said the striker will remain with the Premier League club.
The 2013/14 UAE champions had identified Gomis as a candidate to solve their striker shortage, with reports suggesting they had activated a £7 million (Dh39.9m) release clause in the Frenchman's current contract. Gomis was reportedly open to a deal with the Dubai side that would earn him €3m (Dh12m) per year.
However, Ahli announced late Friday the acquisition of Lima from Benfica, which seems to have ended their interest in Gomis. The Brazilian, 32, signed a two-year contract, with the option of another season.
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Asked on Friday night about Ahli’s interest in Gomis, Swansea manager Garry Monk said the Arabian Gulf League club had indeed been in touch.
“That club made contact with the us and made an enquiry,” he said. “That’s no problem, that happens. But Bafe is a Swansea City player. We are looking forward to working with him and him hopefully having a productive season.”
Regarding the £7m release clause in Gomis’s contract, Monk added: “The wording is what matters — it doesn’t mean you have to release the player — and I’m pretty sure with our chairman it would favour the club.
“I’m not thinking about him leaving. Bafe is focused on doing a good job. We had the same thing in January, but he ended up finishing the season well.”
In completing the deal for Lima, Ahli can now register their final squad for next month’s Asian Champions League quarter-final first leg against Naft Tehran. The deadline was Saturday. Lima further swells Ahli’s foreign contingent, with only he, Everton Ribeiro and Kwon Kyung-won guaranteed to make Ahli’s 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League roster. Either Ciel or Oussama Assaidi will fill the final slot, with the former the favourite to be selected.
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