Al-Hilal announce signing of UAE star Omar Abdulrahman

Omar Abdulrahman signs on the dotted line for Al-Hilal. (Courtesy Al-Hilal)

• It took time, determination and money for the Riyadh giants to get the 26-year-old playmaker on a one-year loan from Al-Ain
• Abdulrahman, the AFC Player of the Year in 2016, has been the hottest property in West Asian football since he burst on to the scene at the 2012 Olympics

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal have finally captured the signing of United Arab Emirates star Omar Abdulrahman.
It took time, determination and money for the Riyadh giants to get the 26-year-old playmaker on a one-year loan from Al-Ain. The hundreds of fans who waited at the capital’s airport in the early hours of Wednesday morning for his arrival were in no doubt that “The Boss” have signed a big star and an even bigger talent.
Abdulrahman, the AFC Player of the Year in 2016, has been the hottest property in West Asian football since he burst on to the scene at the 2012 Olympics. Born in Riyadh before moving to the UAE, “Amoory” has been linked with a move to European giants such as Juventus, Manchester City and Barcelona.
His first overseas move however is to his hometown club that he supported as a boy. That did not, however, stop the transfer being protracted, complex and expensive.
Al-Hilal will have to pay around €15 million ($17 million) to Al-Ain and the player for just 12 months of his services, making the deal the second most expensive loan in the history of football after the €18 million it cost AC Milan to preside Juventus to loan them Gonzalo Higuain in July.
The addition of Abdulrahman comes less than a month after the Riyadh giants, now led by new president Sami Al-Jaber and new coach Jorge Jesus from Portugal, signed Peruvian winger Andre Carrillo, who scored for the South Americans at this summer’s World Cup.
It also marks a victory for Al-Hilal over Al-Nassr. The other Riyadh giants, who finished in third last season, have been especially busy in the transfer window and made a late bid to try and hijack Al-Hilal’s deal for the UAE star, offering more money.