Sepahan closing in on former winger Mohebbi
Persian Gulf Pro League club Sepahan is closing in on a deal to re-sign winger Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi from Emirati top-flight side Ittihad Kalba FC.
Sepahan is reportedly willing to pay $1 million to bring back its former player, who scored nine goals and provided 10 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for the Isfahan-based outfit last season before departing for the UAE’s ADNOC Pro League in August.
That successful campaign earned the 25-year-old Iranian his international debut in a dead rubber against Qatar at the World Cup qualifiers in June. He later netted his first goal and assist for Team Melli in a 3-0 victory over North Korea.
Mohebbi, however, has struggled to make an impact in the UAE, failing to register a goal or assist in nine appearances while also missing seven games due to injury and suspension.
The left-footed winger last featured in Kalba’s 3-1 away defeat to Sharjah FC on Sunday, where he was substituted at halftime.
Should the deal be finalized in the coming days, it would provide a major boost for Sepahan head coach Moharram Navidkia, who must cope without top scorer Mohammad Askari for the rest of the season after the young striker suffered a torn ligament while on duty with Iran at the U23 Asian Cup earlier this month.
The future of French striker Enzo Crivelli also remains in doubt after he left Iran this week amid regional tensions and recent domestic unrest.
With the World Cup finals less than five months away, a return to the Iranian league could enhance Mohebbi’s chances of securing a place in the national team squad for the showpiece event in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Sepahan currently leads the Iranian top flight with 31 points from 16 games – three points clear of Tehran archrivals Esteghlal and Persepolis – ahead of Friday’s crucial visit to the Capital Reds in the ‘Iranian Clasico’.