SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: Another day, another eye-catching ADNOC Pro League addition. It is not hyperbole, however, to describe Miralem Pjanic’s decision to swap Barcelona for Sharjah as the division’s boldest move in a decade.
The cultured Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder’s switch — on a lucrative two-year contract, with a one-year option to extend — is a statement of intent designed to reverberate far beyond the UAE’s borders.
Fabio Cannavaro, Luca Toni and David Trezeguet were the last imports of similar prestige to the four-time Serie A winner. This move is a tier above that of fellow Sharjah recruit Paco Alcacer and champions Al-Ain’s standout pre-season addition, Andriy Yarmolenko.
Such is its profile, that football transfer doyen Fabrizio Romano chronicled Pjanic’s journey to feverish reaction on social media.