Iranian star Javad Nekounam has issued a come-and-get me plea to European clubs.
Iranian star Javad Nekounam has issued a come-and-get me plea to European clubs.
The 25-year-old midfielder recently agreed a six-month deal with UAE outfit Al Wahda, but he says he has his sights firmly set on a switch to Europe following the World Cup in June.
"I am happy to be here. But after the World Cup, I will consider playing in Europe," he told Emirates Today.
Such a revelation is sure to disappoint the UAE league leaders, although the former Pas Tehran captain's long-term ambitions have always been to play in one of the top leagues in Europe, having been linked with Tottenham and Kaiserslautern earlier this season.
A potential deal with Kaiserslautern only broke down at the last minute in August when the German club baulked at the asking price for a player whose contract would run out in June 2006.
Subsequently, the Emirati club paid a reported $1 million (£575,000), which would be split equally between the player and his club, to sign him on a short-term contract starting in January 2006.
