Nilmar, Pitroipa join Al Nasr

Dubai - Double deal completes four-strong foreign quota at Al Maktoum Stadium.

Al Nasr have signed ex-Brazil and Villarreal striker Nilmar and former Al Jazira midfielder Jonathan Pitroipa on two-year contracts, subject to both players passing their respective medicals.
The Blue Wave's chances of buying Nilmar appeared to be in real jeopardy earlier this week, when the 31-year-old spoke to Brazilian reporters of his apparent contentment in Porto Alegre and his desire to stay beyond the expiry of his current deal in 2017. However, there was a caveat to all of his avowed pledges, with the player himself admitting: "If I leave, it is because the (club) president has made that decision."
That may well have been the case too as Nasr confirmed that a transfer had been agreed with Internacional on their Instagram and Twitter accounts late on Thursday night.
"Al Nasr Club has reached an agreement with Internacional for the signing of Nilmar for two seasons," the Dubai-based club revealed on their official Instagram account.
"The player will head to Munich on Saturday to undergo medical tests and complete the move before joining the club's training camp in Germany."
Nilmar's impending arrival will bring an end to Ibrahima Toure's stay at Al Maktoum Stadium, where club officials have been left infuriated by the Senegalese striker's failure to return to pre-season training on time.
Nilmar already has prior experience of playing in a GCC country and these conditions having represented Al Rayyan and El Jaish in Qatar between 2012 and 2014 prior to returning to Internacional last year.
He had played for Internacional in his native homeland on two prior occasions (2002-2004 and 2007-2009), as well as Corinthians between 2005 and 2007.
Nilmar also has played in France and Spain for Lyon (2004-2005) and - of course - Villarreal (2009-2012) respectively.
He accrued 23 caps for Brazil from 2003 to 2011, scoring eight goals.
Pitroipa meanwhile beefs up a Nasr midfield that already contains the attacking instincts of fellow new recruit Luis Jimenez and Renan Garcia's defensive capabilities.
The Burkina Faso international, 29, spent his entire senior career in Germany (Freiburg: 2004-2008 & Hamburg: 2008-2011) and France (Rennes: 2011-2014) before joining the Pride of Abu Dhabi last summer.
Pitroipa enjoyed an impressive debut season in UAE football to boot, scoring nine goals in 25 appearances as Jazira finished as the runners-up behind Arabian Gulf League (AGL) champions Al Ain.
Nonetheless, the club have since captured Jefferson Farfan, Thiago Neves, Jong-woo Park to supplement their retained topscorer Mirko Vucinic, thereby leaving Pitroipa out in the cold at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
alex@khaleejtimes.com