Arabian Gulf League a stepping stone in transfer market for young footballers

Until recently, not many supporters of Baniyas would have heard of Carlos Munoz of Chile. Neither would have most football fans in the UAE. The striker is expected to become the latest foreign player to join the ranks of the rebranded Arabian Gulf League , coming from the Chilean club Colo Colo, subject to the clubs agreeing a transfer fee expected to be in the region of US$5 million (Dh18.4m). Munoz is not without pedigree, having scored 60 goals in 123 league matches and collected eight caps for the Chilean national team. He also is – surprisingly, for a UAE-bound transfer target – only 24. A season or two in the emirates historically has been seen as a final stop for big-name players who, to put it kindly, have seen better days; here to enjoy the sun and one last, big contract. It's a generalisation, but one based in reality. The over-30 players, with a few exceptions, have not set the league alight. Meanwhile, Munoz, like other players who come here in their prime, can expect to be labelled a mercenary by the folks back home. In football, perception is everything; we have only to look at the astonishment, and ridicule, that Asamoah Gyan's move to Al Ain from Sunderland attracted two years ago. Still, whether by design or accident, there has been a shift in transfer policies at most clubs: fewer trophy players, more players who can win trophies. Munoz would be part of that trend as is Nelson Valdez, the 29-year-old Paraguayan international,who last week joined Al Jazira from Valencia. The Portuguese international Hugo Viana, 30, made the move from Braga to Al Ahli earlier in the summer. While neither player is a novice, both should have several years at the top left in them. Perhaps most intriguing is the news that Al Wasl are trailing a 22-year-old Argentinian striker whom they openly admit will eventually go on to play in Europe. Young South American stars are meant to head to Spain first, not the UAE. What is going on? Clubs perhaps have come to their senses and stopped throwing good money after bad. Maybe they have seen, first-hand, that paying generously for players who are clearly past their best is not the best policy to attract crowds and win championships. Fans are not easily fooled, and if they don't flock to see these non-committed star signings, then what exactly are the clubs paying for? Money will still be splashed. Just, it is hoped, on younger talent. Not that all veterans have been failures: Ahli's brilliant Grafite, 34, being the most obvious exception. But many have been abject failures. Luca Toni (at 35) and David Trezeguet (at 33) joined Al Nasr and Baniyas , respectively, from Juventus and Hercules; their sum contribution was a pitiful 10 matches and three goals, of which the Frenchman scored none. The clubs had only themselves to blame. Still, even those two disastrous moves have inadvertently provided a silver lining, as well as being cautionary tales. Toni subsequently joined Fiorentina and Trezeguet moved to River Plate in Argentina, where both enjoyed an upswing in fortunes. The lesson? Don't sell it like a retirement plan, and players won't treat it as such. For some, the UAE can be a place to re-start a stalling career. Perhaps it was what Ricardo Quaresma had in mind when he joined Ahli from Besiktas last January. The golden boy of Portuguese football (before the emergence of you-know-who) at age 29 has hardly been a raging success in the UAE, and yet he has done enough to become a firm favourite in the eyes of Ahli supporters. Chances are he will move back to Europe sooner rather than later. Using a local club as a halfway house might not be what Ahli's management had in mind, but it is a step up from being a retirement home. The Arabian Gulf League has far to go before it is as attractive as the top leagues in Europe or South and North America. Players are still more likely to wind down, rather than develop, their careers here. It's time to adapt. Clubs that continue to be generously funded by their owners know they must get smarter with their money - or run the risk of more farcical cameos by the likes of Toni and Trezeguet. Younger, more competitive players increasingly seem on board for a variety of factors. Money no doubt being the main one. One question remains. Will the signing of Munoz, Valdez and some unknown Argentine youngster be glamorous enough to get the notoriously hard-to-please fans out of their armchairs and into the stands? Don't rule it out. Follow us

Arabian Gulf League a stepping stone in transfer market for young footballers

A shift in transfer policies at most Arabian Gulf League clubs sees fewer trophy players being signed. Instead, focus is on players who can win trophies.