“Al-Nasr Dubai has come to an agreement with Guangzhou R&F’s Israeli striker, Dia Saba”, Emirati Al-Bayan media outlet reported on Thursday.
According to Al-Bayan’s report, Al-Nasr Club is close to sign the Israeli national team’s forward, Dia Saba, 27.
The report claimed that negotiations between Al-Nasr and Saba have reached their final stages, after agreeing on the annual salary and the penalty clause. It has been added that Al-Nasr will pay the transfer fee to the Chinese club.
This will make Saba part football history in the Middle East as the first Israeli player in the UAE Pro League - the Arabian Gulf League.
Saba has 10 appearances in the Israeli national team and three goals to his name. In January 2019 Saba was sold to Guangzhou R&F from Hapoel Be’er Sheva for €4.37m, only a couple of months after he was bought for €2m. Overall, in China, Saba scored 17 goals and passed 12 assists in 35 league matches.
Despite the publications and the enthusiasm about the first Israeli in Emirati football, Al-Nasr keeps their cards close to the chest. “I have no information regarding such a deal”, a club source told BabaGol.
Another source added: “Al-Nasr is currently looking for recruitment prior to the new season that starts next month, and naturally, with the agreement between the UAE and Israel, a few names of notable Israeli internationals were mentioned”.
The stories of normalization through football between the United Arab Emirates and Israel are gathering, whether or not Saba makes the move. Hapoel Beer Sheva's invitation to Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai for a friendly match; one of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s owners mentioned his ties with Khaled al-Qassami - an investor from the UAE; and of course the contacts between Beitar Jerusalem and Emirati businessmen.
Only recently, we broke the story of Emirati clubs who showed interest in Beram Kayal, another prominent member of the Israeli national team and ex-Celtic Glasgow player.
It is worth noting that none of nothing will be carried out without the approval of Muhammad bin Zayed and his people, who reign as the only authority regarding the new ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Photo via Dia Sabaa official Instagram account.
