Moussa Sow claims to have turned down offers from West Ham and Sunderland to complete a big-money move to the United Arab Emirates.
The 29-year-old has joined Al Ahli from Fenerbahce for a fee of €16m, making him one of the most expensive signings in the history of the United Arab Emirates game.
Al Ahli also agreed to pay Sow a €1m loyalty bonus he was owed from Fenerbahce to smooth through the move.
According to United Arab Emirates daily the National, Sow claims to have turned down both West Ham and Sunderland, preferring to move to Al Ahli.
Sow was quoted as saying: "I heard this is one of the biggest transfers here in the Emirates and I’m happy to have that much value in me.
relatedNewsStory
"I’m trying to give back what the club paid for me and attempting to do my best. I received a few offers from England and other teams in the UAE, but I have been here many times and, after I spoke with my family and friends, I decided to come to Al Ahli club.
"It’s a project I like, I feel safe with the people here and they helped me come here. I heard the club has had lots of big players pass through, such as Grafite and Fabio Cannavaro, which gave me more information about the club and helped me make my decision."
Sow is not available for Al Ahli to call upon for their Asian Champions League campaign, with the United Arab Emirates outfit already through to the quarter-final, where they have a second leg against Naft Tehran on the horizon later this month.
The Senegalese striker was prolific in Turkish football and scored 52 times in 107 appearances in the Turkish top flight for the Yellow Canaries.
