Abu Dhabi: Al Jazira have reportedly fought off competition from Premier League new boys Burnley for the signature of the Belgium defensive midfielder, Steven Defour, despite him apparently yearning to play in England’s top flight.
The Pride of Abu Dhabi have agreed a fee of 7 million euros (Dh28.64) with the 28-year-old’s club Anderlecht, although Burnley have offered 9m euros (Dh36.83m) for him, according to Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper and the Burnley Express.
Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager who led his side to promotion last season just a year after their relegation from the Premier League, had watched Defour score in a 5-1 win against KV Kortrijk last Saturday.
But Le Soir claimed on Thursday: “For his part, although he [Defour] dreams of playing in the Premier League and the coach of Burnley came personally to see him against Kortrijk, the player does not want to fight to avoid relegation. Late on Wednesday, Anderlecht and Al Jazira agreed a transfer fee of €7m but the Belgian club have imposed one condition: the Emirati club pays the full amount in cash.
“The final details were due to be settled on Thursday morning, even if the English club Burnley has not said its last word and continues to offer €9m for Steven Defour.”
Meanwhile, the Burnley Express said: “Al Jazira have offered Defour 50 per cent more in wages than Burnley, with Anderlecht set to cut their losses and accept the lower transfer fee.”
Defour’s potential arrival would be a significant coup for Al Jazira given his quality and vast experience, and end the club’s protracted pursuit of Newcastle United’s Cheick Tiote.
Although he did not play for Belgium at the recent European Championship, he has won 46 caps for the Red Devils and scored two goals since his first appearance in 2006.
After spells in his homeland with Genk and Standard Liege, Defour moved to the Portuguese giants Porto in 2011 and won two league titles and a Super Cup.
But his time at Anderlecht has been less successful, with abuse from the club’s fans, given his past at their arch-rivals Standard Liege, prompting him to agitate for a move.
Defour, if Al Jazira’s swoop proves successful, would become the Abu Dhabi club’s second foreign signing of the summer following the capture of the 31-year-old Moroccan attacking midfielder Mbark Boussoufa from Lokomotiv Moscow last month.
Henk ten Cate, the Al Jazira coach, is rebuilding his side after the club finished only seventh in the Arabian Gulf League last season.
Al Jazira confirmed the signing of the UAE right-back, Mohammad Fawzi, from Al Ain earlier this month and have also snapped up two midfielders — Humaid Ahmad and Salem Abdullah — from Fujairah and Al Wasl respectively.
The President’s Cup holders are poised to offload midfielders Thiago Neves and Angel Lafita, while retaining their star striker Mirko Vucinic and the South Korean midfielder Park Jong-woo.
Their Peru winger, Jefferson Farfan, could also stay, despite earlier reports claiming he was to be jettisoned after an injury-plagued first season at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium.
But the Jazira chief executive, Ayed Mabkhout, said earlier this week that Farfan had performed brilliantly on the club’s pre-season tour of the Netherlands and Germany, and that it would be up to Ten Cate to decide his future.
