Winter transfers in full swing as Salmiya secures Bahrain’s Humaidan

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 29: The winter transfer market is experiencing a surge in activity as the deadline approaches tomorrow. Clubs are intensifying negotiations with players to bolster their squads for the remainder of the 2023-2024 seasons, aiming to secure professionals of higher caliber than their current roster.

In Salmiya, club president Sheikh Turki Al-Yousef announced that the technical staff, led by Croatian Ante Misha, is actively addressing the professional file. This comes after the club successfully signed a contract with Bahraini Mahdi Humaidan. Al-Humaidan, set to join Al-Salmiya after his commitments with the national team in the Asian Cup, will replace Senegalese player Cesar Ousinou, who failed to make a significant contribution to the team.

Reports indicate that the technical staff is seeking replacements for Brazilian Sebastiao Junior “Seba” and Ghanaian Issaka Abudu, as their performances fell short of expectations. Negotiations are underway with players from Brazil and Croatia, as recommended by Croatian coach Misha. Al-Youssef emphasized Al-Salmiya’s commitment to strengthening the squad during the winter transfers and expressed the club’s reluctance to part with any local players, particularly Mahdi Dashti and Fawaz Ayed. Ayed has a contract with the club for the next two seasons, while efforts are being made to renew Dashti’s contract for a similar period.

In Al-Qadisiya, Ghanaian professional Sarfo Kingsley has commenced training with “Al-Asfar,” becoming the fifth professional in the team, replacing Tunisian Youssef Ben Souda. Despite criticism surrounding ethical concerns in Switzerland during his professional career, Sarfo, 28 years old, signed a contract with Al-Qadisiya for a season and a half. The decision to bring Sarfo into the team was made by the technical staff led by coach Dr. Mohamed Al-Mashaan, who sought a player proficient in pivoting and goal creation.

For Kuwait Club, “Al-Abyad,” the official acquisition of Congolese professional Arsene Zola, known for his defensive prowess at 28 years old, has been confirmed. Additionally, an agreement has been reached with an African striker with previous experience in Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Zola and the African striker are expected to replace Tunisians Bilal Al-Aifa and Yassine Al-Khenissi, who is sidelined due to injury. “Al-Abyad” will retain the services of Tunisian Yassine Amri, Moroccan Mahdi Barahma, and Bahraini Mohammed Al-Marhoun.

In Al-Shabab, the club is on the verge of announcing three new deals, according to Jaber Al-Zenki, the director of the football staff. Despite previous trials during the Cairo camp, the technical staff was unconvinced of the level of some professionals. The Tunisian duo Youssef Ben Souda and Bilal Al-Aifa are among the club’s choices.

As for Al-Fahaheel, Syrian coach Firas Al-Khatib is actively scouting for players from his country for the Asian Cup. Player Mahmoud Al-Aswad is close to joining the team for two and a half seasons.

 Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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