Transfer talk: Al Nasr coach Ivan Jovanovic has final say on Correa

Serbian Bruno Correa remains popular among Al Nasr fans after he scored 19 goals during 32 matches in his debut season, writes John McAuley.

Serbian Bruno Correa, right, remains popular among Al Nasr fans after he scored 19 goals during 32 matches in his debut season. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Bruno Correa could yet have a future with Al Nasr after the club confirmed his position in the squad is wholly dependent on new manager Ivan Jovanovic.

Correa was expected to make way for fresh signings following the Serbian's appointment last month, with the Al Maktoum Stadium side eager to provide the resources required to re-establish themselves at the summit of UAE football.

Nasr, who finished sixth last season, have already declined the opportunity to extend Takayuki Moritomo's loan arrangement with Catania, while Giuseppe Mascara has also been allowed to depart.

That leaves Correa, Leonardo Lima and recent recruit Brett Holman as three quarters of Nasr's foreign ensemble for next season, with Jovanovic evaluating other potential candidates to complete the expatriate quota.

Correa, though, remains popular among Nasr fans after a relatively successful debut campaign in which he scored 19 goals in 32 matches. Jovanovic has been given DVDs of all last season's matches and will decide whether to retain the forward when he returns to Dubai next week.

"The coach will come and then we'll make the final decision, but only with his recommendation," said Fahad Hadi, a Nasr board member. "Until now there is nothing. We'll sit with the coach, see what he has planned for the team and take it from there.

"Everything is possible; we might keep [Correa] or take another player. Up to this moment he is a part of the club."

Meanwhile, Nasr are not optimistic of concluding a deal for Ibrahima Toure. The Monaco striker has been made available by the big-spending French side and is believed to be considering offers from other Ligue 1 clubs.

"The player wants to stay in Europe and in that case we can't do anything about it," Hadi said.

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