Adalari FK manager, Valery Karpin, has wasted little time strengthening his squad, ahead of the clubs inaugural Champions League campaign, today announcing the signing of Newcastle United striker, Papiss Cisse, for a reported 350K.
It is believed the Senegalese striker has signed a 3 year deal worth an estimated 30K per week & is said to be excited by the prospect of playing regular first team football again.
With Austrian striker, Roland Linz, recently announcing his retirement & 34 year old Brazilaian, Adriano, set to leave the club when his contract expires, Karpin had made little secret of his desire to sign a top line striker to compete with local lad, Bahattin Kose, for a starting role. But has he got his man?
Since bursting onto the Premier League scene, in the 2011/12 season (scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances when paired with Demba Ba), 30 year old Cisse, has struggled to rediscover such form & had been forced even further into the background at St James' Park by recent signings such as Aleksander Mitrovic.
The cut price fee further evidence that the powers to be at Newcastle had little faith in Cisse's ability to turn his form around in the twilight of his career.
Regardless, the Senegalese remains a potent attacking weapon who, in the less competitive environment of the Premyer Ligasi, should be able to strike fear into opposition defences with his pace, power & eye for goal.
Whether he can find the kind of form that saw him linked with giants of the game like Manchester United, is another question altogether but can he shoot Adalari to the top of Azeri football? You better believe it!
32 year old Athletico Madrid shot stopper, Miguel Angel Moya, has become the latest player to join the footballing revolution in Azerbaijan, with Premyer Ligasi champions, Adalari FK, today announcing they have signed the Spaniard for a club record, 2.3M.
Moya, who joined the Spanish giants from Getafe in 2014, had found himself down the pecking order at the Vicente Calderon Stadium & subsequently handed in a transfer request In order to gain more first team football.
The signing is Adalari's second high profile deal of the window, following the arrival of Senegalese striker, Papiss Cisse, a matter of days ago, & is seen as further proof of the fledgling club's growing ambition.
With a budget said to be capable of backing such ambition, it is likely that more big names will be added to the squad in the coming weeks, however, with the relative obscurity of the league, it remains to be seen just what calibre of player the Premyer Ligasi can attract.
With many other clubs in the newly well off league said also to have cash to burn, could this be the beginning of a new dawn for Azeri football? It would appear so.