7 forgotten ballers you had no idea are now playing in the UAE Pro League | OneFootball

Former Arsenal and Tottenham stars are among the forgotten ballers who are currently playing in the United Arab Emirates Pro League.

There’s no doubt that football has taken huge strides forward in the Middle East over the last few years, particularly with the Saudi Pro League attracting plenty of big-name players to the region.

However, Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country that is pushing the boat out for superstar signings. We’ve taken a closer look at the UAE Pro League and have found seven forgotten ballers now playing over there.

Dusan Tadic

When Tadic left Southampton, many people, us included, thought that would probably be the last we saw of the Serb. We were so wrong.

Tadic thrived at Ajax. Ten Hag played him as a false 9 for a little while and, good grief, he was so good at it.

A prime example being the Champions League tie during which he span through Real Madrid’s defence at will, like a prime Zinedine Zidane. He earned a 10/10 rating from L’Equipe for that performance.

After a spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce, the 36-year-old signed for Al-Wahda this summer. He has one goal and four assists in seven appearances to date.

Nabil Fekir

Fekir was quite the coup for Al-Jazira last summer – he was only 31, still pretty much at the peak of his powers, and fresh from five seasons with Real Betis in La Liga.

Al-Jazira’s chairman is one Sheikh Mansour, who you may know as the owner of Manchester City, so it’s no surprise the club were able to attract a player of Fekir’s quality.

He’s scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 30 matches to date, showcasing his immense ability when available. We’re sure he could still cut it in one of Europe’s major leagues.

Adel Taarabt

We’re still guilty of watching a Taarabt compilation now and again, but who isn’t? His 2010-11 campaign with QPR in particular will live long in the memory.

Even in his twilight years, the Moroccan midfielder is still rinsing defenders. Taarabt joined Al-Nasr in 2022 and unsurprisingly, he’s looked a level above the competition.

The former QPR and Benfica trickster has played 75 matches in the UAE and he’s produced 46 goal contributions from midfield in that time. Not too shabby.

Mohamed Elneny

Elneny was well-liked by Arsenal fans, but he was firmly on the fringes of the first team by the time of his departure in 2024.

The Egyptian Pirlo joined Al-Jazira, having come to the end of his contract in North London after eight-and-a-half years with the Gunners.

“We’re going to be friends forever. I’m going to be supporting them now in front of the TV and sometimes I’m going to come to the stadium to watch them,” Elneny said in a heart-warming message after leaving the Emirates.

He’s scored once and provided three assists in 39 appearances for the Emirati club.

Luka Milivojevic

Remember that season when Crystal Palace were awarded a load of penalties and Milivojevic was dead-eyed at converting them? Glorious.

The Serbian midfielder spent six and a half seasons at Selhurst Park and made just shy of 200 Premier League appearances for the Eagles.

He quietly left the club after his contract expired in the summer of 2023, and after a few weeks of uncertainty, agreed terms with Shabab Al Ahli.

The 34-year-old has won silverware in his native Serbia, Belgium and Greece and is now targeting more, although he has now switched to Al-Nasr like many other entrants on this list.

Manolo Gabbiadini

Fondly remembered from his stints with Southampton, Sampdoria and Napoli, Gabbiadini is now doing the business for Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates.

The 33-year-old made the switch to the Middle East last summer and he has managed to bag 17 in 45 appearances so far.

By the time his contract ends in 2026, we’re in no doubt that he’ll have scored a bucketload more.

Sardar Azmoun

Part of Iran’s Golden Generation of the past decade, Azmoun has successfully held his own at several big European clubs such as Zenit St Petersburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Roma.

Still only 30, Azmoun returned to the Middle East in 2024 and signed for Shabab Al Ahli. He’s scored 27 goals in 42 outings, proving the forward remains a class operator.