Esteghlal considering a move for ex-Brighton winger Tau
Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal is reportedly weighing up a move for South African winger Percy Tau, with head coach Pitso Mosimane keen on reuniting with his compatriot in the Iranian top flight.
A former player of Brighton & Hove Albion and Belgian Pro League champion in 2020 with Club Brugge, Tau, 30, left the Premier League club in 2021 to join Egyptian giant Al Ahly, where he won 11 major trophies, including back-to-back CAF Champions League titles over the past two seasons.
Having made his senior club debut at Mamelodi Sundowns in his home country under Mosimane, Tau won double South African league titles as well as the silverware in the African elite clubs’ competition in 2016 before leaving the continent for the English top flight.
His time in Brighton was hardly deemed a success as he only made three league appearances for the Seagulls, but still enjoyed prolific loan spells with Union SG, Club Brugge, RSC Anderlecht, bagging 21 goals and 22 assists in 79 games with the Belgian clubs.
On his return to African football, Tae rejoined Mosimane in Al Ahly, contributing with 30 goals and 14 assists in 126 outings for the Egyptian Red Devils – including three Champions League strikes this season.
Tehran-based website Varzesh3, citing a report in korabia.net, wrote on Friday that Mosimane has made contact with his former club Al Ahly in recent days to find out about Tau’s situation ahead of an official approach by the Tehran Blues.
Capped 46 times for the national team since making his debut in 2015, Tau has 15 goals under his belt in the Bafana Bafana colors, finishing third in the Africa Cup of Nations last January, thanks to a shootout victory over DR Congo in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
A disappointing campaign has seen Esteghlal sit 10th in the Iranian league’s 16-team table with 18 points – 14 adrift of Tractor on top – and Mosimane, who took over from ex-coach Javad Nekounam in October, will be eager to turn the Blues’ fortune around after the midseason break.
Mosimane’s side is eighth – the last knockout spot – in the West Zone standings of the AFC Champions League Elite with five points and remains in contention for a place in the quarterfinals ahead of the final two games of the group phase against Al Shorta and Al Rayyan in February.