Al-Arabi SC has priced Nigeria’s one-time international striker Imoh Ezekiel out of his four-year contract at Standard Liege.
The 20-year-old leaves Liege after two years to ink a deal reportedly worth $3.8 a year at the Qatari outfit- making the highest paid Nigeria international.
“It’s one opportunity that is good for me and good for the team. And we didn’t want it to go by,” he said in a farewell message to the Belgian club fans.
“I didn’t expect to leave Standard so soon. I thought I would leave maybe after another season or two but this transfer came from nowhere.”
Both clubs have not disclosed the actual figure of the deal which is believed to cost $10.8m.
Ezekiel joined Standard Liege in January 2012 going on to score 32 goals in 91 matches in all competitions. He signed an improved contract last summer which would have kept him at the club until 2017.
He felt the offer from Al-Arabi was too lucrative to turn down, despite interests from clubs in England, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia.
“This deal is also good for me and my family and I couldn’t say no. So I have to take it and look ahead.,” he added.
His solitary Nigeria cap came as a second-half substitute in a friendly match against Mexico on March 5.
He was omitted from coach Stephen Keshi’s provisional squad for the 2014 Fifa World Cup.
