7 brilliant players who are simply too good to be playing in the UAE
Former Arsenal, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund stars are among the forgotten ballers who are simply too good to be playing in the United Arab Emirates Pro League.
There’s no doubt that football has taken huge strides forward in the Middle East over these last few years, with plenty of household names enticed to the region.
We’ve taken a closer look at the UAE Pro League and have found seven brilliant players who are still good enough to be playing elsewhere.
Nabil Fekir
Fekir was quite the coup for Al-Jazira last summer – he’s only 31, still pretty much at the peak of his powers, and fresh from five seasons with Real Betis in La Liga.
Al-Jazira’s chairman is one Sheikh Mansour, who you may know as the owner of Manchester City, so it’s no surprise the club were able to attract a player of Fekir’s quality.
He’s scored four goals and provided an assist in five league matches to date, showcasing his immense ability when available. We’re sure he could still cut it in one of Europe’s major leagues.
Adel Taarabt
We’re still guilty of watching a Taarabt compilation now and again, but who isn’t? His 2010-11 campaign with QPR in particular will live long in the memory.
Even in his twilight years, the Moroccan midfielder is still rinsing defenders. Taarabt joined Al-Nasr in 2022 and unsurprisingly, he’s looked a level above the competition.
The former QPR and Benfica trickster has played 60 matches in the UAE and he’s produced 44 goal contributions from midfield in that time. Not too shabby.
READ: A celebration of Adel Taarabt and his ability to make your dad angry
Sardar Azmoun
Part of Iran’s Golden Generation of the past decade, Azmoun has successfully held his own at several big European clubs such as Zenit St Petersburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Roma.
Still only 29, Azmoun returned to the Middle East over the summer and signed for Shabab Al Ahli. He’s scored six goals in seven league outings, proving the forward remains a class operator.
Manolo Gabbiadini
Fondly remembered from his stints with Southampton, Sampdoria and Napoli, Gabbiadini is now doing the business for Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates.
The 32-year-old made the switch to the Middle East in the summer and he has managed to bag 17 in 37 appearances so far. By the time his contract ends in 2026, we’re in no doubt that he’ll have scored a bucket load.
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Leroy Fer
Former Norwich, QPR, and Swansea midfielder Fer signed for Al-Nasr in the summer and has been a regular starter for his new club, playing 89% of all available minutes across league and cup.
The 34-year-old former Netherlands international once accidentally bought a €30,000 horse for his girlfriend who lived in a block of flats. We hope he’s learnt his lesson since that costly mistake.
Paco Alcacer
The Spanish forward was only 28 when he decided to leave Europe and join the UAE Pro League.
He originally joined Sharjah on loan, although two days after his arrival, his contract with Villarreal was terminated which then allowed him to join the UAE club on a permanent basis.
Alcacer got his hands on two trophies during his debut season, although he was reportedly pushing for a move back to Europe in the summer.
While a switch to Europe didn’t materialise in the end, Alcacer is struggling for game time and form back at Sharjah. Somebody bring him back to Europe, please.
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny was well-liked by Arsenal fans, but there was little prospect of him pushing Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Thomas Partey or Mikel Merino out of that team.
The Egyptian Pirlo joined Fekir at Al-Jazira this summer, having come to the end of his contract in North London after eight-and-a-half years with the Gunners.
“We’re going to be friends forever. I’m going to be supporting them now in front of the TV and sometimes I’m going to come to the stadium to watch them,” Elneny said in a heart-warming message after leaving the Emirates.
He’s scored once and provided one assist in eight Pro League appearances, but we reckon the Egyptian could still do a job in one of Europe’s top five leagues.