ABU DHABI // Al Jazira are on the verge of following the example of the soon-to-be Abu Dhabi-owned Premier League club Manchester City by signing a leading Brazilian forward. Rafael Sobis flies in to the capital tomorrow to seal a Dh65m deal, joining from the Spanish side Real Betis.
The transfer comes only days after Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (UDUG), the private equity group led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, paid Dh652million to buy City and purchase Robinho for Dh212m. Coincidentally, Sheikh Mansour is also the vice chairman of Jazira, a club who have yet to win the national league in the UAE. Dr Sulaiman al Fahim, the man fronting the takeover of City, will fly into Manchester tomorrow to inspect the club.
Sobis is also due to touch down in Abu Dhabi from Sao Paulo later this afternoon. Fahim is expected to be in Manchester for two days, but is likely to return to watch Manchester City's first match under their new owners against Chelsea next weekend. "We will be looking at expanding all aspects of the club, new sponsors and other related business," said Fahim. "I have been working on a business plan, and we need to make it clear to the people at Manchester City.
"We have made our ambitions clear and we now need to sit down with them to realise what it will take to put them into effect." A Dh52m fee, believed to be a UAE record, for Sobis has been agreed with Betis, and will go through providing the player completes a medical. The other Dh13m will go on wages and agents' fees. He was due to fly to the UAE last Friday, but Jazira sources are hopeful he will conclude the formalities of his five-year contract.
Jazira are eager to see Sobis is fit enough after paying Dh24m for Bonaventure Kalou last season, only to see him struggle with injuries. Jazira's Brazilian coach Abel Braga is busy totting up players he knows from running the Brazilian club Internacional. In terms of cost and prestige, he might not be as renowned as Robinho, but players do not come much healthier than Sobis. Newcastle United wanted him, but could not reach an agreement before the transfer deadline of Sept 1.
The UAE signing deadline expires on Sept 10, and Jazira have stepped in. Sobis, 23, won a bronze medal with Brazil at the Olympic Games in Beijing, and has earned 10 full caps after joining Betis from Internacional two years ago. Sobis made his debut for Brazil against Argentina in a 3-0 win two years ago in a match played at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Fernando Baiano has already joined Jazira, while the Atletico Madrid defender Fabiano Eller is also understood to be ready to sign a contract within the next week.
Baiano, signed from Real Murcia on loan, played in a low key friendly last night ahead of Sobis' expected arrival. Rumour continues to rage around the City move. Following days of intense speculation linking them to some of the world's leading footballers, sources close to the deal were today quick to play down some of the names and prices that have been quoted. A source said: "There has been a lot of talk about which players we will sign and how much money we will spend on them. We now have to be practical, calm things down a bit and get on with the real business of running a football club."
Dr Fahim revealed that one of the issues he hopes to discuss with Manchester City officials is how the club will be able to benefit footballers in the UAE. He added: "We want this to be an opportunity for our players as well. And, of course, there will also be opportunities for the manager Mark Hughes and his team to come to Abu Dhabi. This can only benefit football throughout the whole of the UAE."