Omar lands record loan deal with Al Hilal

Omar Abdulrahman signed a three-year contract extension with Al Ain on the condition that he would be allowed on loan to Al Hilal for a season

UAE playmaker Omar Abdulrahman is said to have landed a lucrative and record loan move to Al Hilal but the Saudi Arabian giants as well as Al Ain are yet to confirm the news.

Omar, nicknamed 'Amoory' by Al Ain fans, has been a major subject of transfer speculation in the Middle East as well as abroad, and reports on social media said that the 26-year-old has sealed a season-long loan with his childhood club.

Al Hilal, the Saudi Professional League champions and Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ain, his parent club, are yet to make an official announcement but the switch has smashed the Middle East transfer record and at 14 million Euros, is the second biggest loan deal after Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain's move from Serie A giants Juventus to AC Milan. Higuain's loan fee is said to be 18 million Euros.

Omar signed a three-year contract extension with Al Ain on the condition that he would be allowed on loan to Al Hilal for a season. The ace midfielder had missed Al Ain's pre-season training camp in Croatia as well as the UAE National team's camp in Salzburg, Austria as he sorted out his club future.

He and his representatives were said to have travelled to the Spanish capital Madrid to negotiate with La Liga clubs.

Omar's move marks a return to Riyadh where he spent his formative years with Al Hilal from 2000 to 2005. He then joined Al Ain's youth team in 2006.

But Omar may have missed another opportunity to show the world of the talent that he possess, with him set to miss the Fifa Club World Cup this December.

james@khaleejtimes.com