Esteghlal signs former Barca striker El Haddadi
Esteghlal signed former Barcelona striker Munir El Haddadi, the Persian Gulf Pro League club announced on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Morocco international joined the Tehran Blues as a free agent from CD Leganés, having scored seven goals in 29 appearances across all competitions for the LaLiga outfit last season.
The ex-Barcelona youth player made 56 appearances across two spells for Blaugrana’s senior team between 2014 and 2018, finding the net on 12 occasions, while contributing with 10 assists.
Also a former player of Sevilla, Getafe, Valencia, Alavés, and Las Palmas, El Haddadi has 47 goals and 21 assists under his belt in 267 appearances in the Spanish top flight.
The Moroccan has been capped 11 times for the national team, scoring twice, but has not received an international call-up since September 2022.
Esteghlal, which has Portuguese Ricardo Sa Pinto back on the bench as the head coach, is desperate to improve on the below-par ninth-place finish in the Iranian league last season.
The Capital Blues got off to a slow start in the summer transfer window, but their activity in the market gathered pace over the past 30 days as the club made marquee signings in Albanian international winger Jasir Asani last, former Real Madrid and Sporting CP goalkeeper Antonio Adán, and Malian winger Moussa Djenepo, as well as Iranian under-23 striker Saeid Saharkhizan.
Esteghlal walked away with a massive 1-0 away victory over Tractor on the opening day of the new season, but had to overcome a two-goal deficit to share the points with Zob Ahan in a 3-3 draw at home before the international break.