Persepolis, Esteghlal looking to reunite with former stars
Tehran archrivals Persepolis and Esteghlal are keen on bringing back two of their former strikers ahead of the next Persian Gulf Pro League season.
Having lifted a seventh league trophy in eight years in June, Persepolis has approached Ali Alipour in recent days, according to Football360, after the Iranian parted ways with Portuguese club Gil Vicente at the end of the newly-finished season.
The Reds’ all-time leading marksman in the Iranian Pro League with 56 strikes, Alipour left Persepolis for the Portuguese top-flight in 2020 but an injury-hit spell saw the 28-year-old manage 14 goals across four seasons with C.S. Marítimo and Gil Vicente – including two in 19 appearances last term.
Persepolis is set for a new era under new Spanish head coach Carlos Garrido but faces the prospect of parting ways with several key players, namely Mahdi Torabi and Danial Esmaeilifar, who are on their way out as free agents.
Meanwhile, Esteghlal, is eager to re-sign Iranian international Mahdi Qayedi for a second loan spell.
A member of the national team in January’s AFC Asian Cup, Qayedi, 25, enjoyed an impressive season at Ittihad Kalba on loan from fellow-Emirati club Shabab Al Ahli, bagging 16 goals and six assists in 34 games across all competitions.
Esteghlal, which finished second to its city rival in the league by a single point, has reportedly made contact with Qayedi’s parent club, though the Emirati side’s asking price could keep the winger wizard from returning to the Tehran Blues, with whom he was first introduced to the Iranian top flight in 2017.