Shabab Al Ahli sign former Manchester City, Celtic and Lyon defender Jason Denayer

Belgium international is understood to have joined ther Dubai club on a one-year contract

Jason Denayer has made 35 appearances for the Belgium national team. AP

Shabab Al Ahli have signed former Manchester City, Celtic, Galatasaray and Lyon defender Jason Denayer on a free transfer.

The Belgium international, 27, was confirmed as the Dubai club’s latest acquisition late on Wednesday, where he is understood to have agreed a one-year contract.

Denayer had been linked with a return to the Premier League, most prominently to Wolverhampton Wanderers, after leaving Lyon in the summer. West Ham United, Leicester City and Bournemouth were also credited with holding an interest, together with Fiorentina in Serie A and La Liga’s Valencia.

Denayer spent the recent international window with Belgium. Although he did not feature in the matches against the Netherlands and Wales, he has 35 caps for his country.

Born in Jette in Belgium, Denayer moved to the Manchester City academy in 2013 but was loaned out for most of his time with the English champions, initially at Celtic, twice at Galatasaray and for a season at Sunderland.

At Celtic, Denayer won the 2014/15 Scottish Premiership and League Cup, while he was also voted the league’s young plater of the year. He was also part of the Galatasaray side who secured the Turkish Super Lig in the 2017/18 season.

Denayer joined Lyon in August 2018 and went on to make 139 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, appearing in the Uefa Champions League.

At Shabab Al Ahli, he will join up with former Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim. The Rashid stadium side have won two of their three Adnoc Pro League matches this season to sit fifth in the table.

Meanwhile, Al Jazira have completed the signing of Czech defender Filip Novak on a free transfer. The versatile left-back, 32, plied his trade for the past two years in Turkey, with Fenerbahce.