Iranian Ghandipour signs for Emirati champion Shabab Al Ahli
Iranian teenage striker Reza Ghandipour joined UAE Pro League champion Shabab Al Ahli on a four-year contract on Friday.
Ghandipour, 19, spent last season at Malavan FC on loan from Paykan, bagging eight goals and four assists in 23 top-flight appearances to help the northern Iranian club finish seventh in the league.
He also has a remarkable 20 goals under his belt in 22 age-group caps, including two in February’s AFC U20 Asian Cup in China, as Iran was knocked out in the quarterfinals after a shootout defeat against Japan.
Ghandipour was heavily linked with a move to Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal but decided to continue his career overseas, where he will team up with fellow-Iranians Sardar Azmoun and Saeid Ezzatollahi at Shabab Al Ahli.
Ghandipour is the second Iranian teenager to move to the Emirati ADNOC Pro League in recent days, following 19-year-old midfielder Mobin Dehqan who left Khaybar to sign a three-year deal with Al Wahda SC on Tuesday.