A last transfer?

By: Shazback | August 23rd, 2007

Emerson signing for Al-Saad Whilst the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea, or in a slightly different manner Lyon, are finishing fine-tuning their squad, Rennes‘ squad seems set for a minor overhaul.

Not only has Sylvain Wiltord been added to the rooster, but Al-Saad’s Brazilian striker Emerson has joined for 5 Million €. And these two will mean that Briand, Thomert, Moreira and Pagis are going to have to fight like hell to be one of the two starters.

Sure, when Rennes were first linked to 28 year-old Marcio Emerson Passos, I thought it was a bit of a joke, since we were in the middle of the Wiltord saga, and I expected it to be a ploy to get Aulas to free Sylvain of his last year. Emerson, who played for Al-Saad, and won the Q-league last season, is also well-known to Japanese fans thanks to his 71 goals for the Uwara Reds. But his 5 Million € price tag still seems a bit heavy. After all, it is only the J-league and the Q-league… Rennes have got UEFA Cup matches to win!

Now, I’m not going to fall for Youtube videos. First off because I doubt the Q-league and J-league opposition is up to the level of Ligue 1 football, but also because based on Youtube videos, you’d think that any player is good. Even Niang or Frau. Sorry, Massaer and Come. But I’ll not write him off, because I’m confident that if Dréossi and his staff are taking the risk, then Emerson can step up to Ligue 1 level.

After all, Kader Keita showed that the best players in Q-league can also become great Ligue 1 players, much to Inara’s delight. However, they do seem to remain inconsistent… Let’s see if Emerson can better Keita on that side! Because their profiles seem quite similar : pacey players who made strange career choices when they were 21, but who went on to shine in those leagues, even though they were seen as slightly dilettante.

Now, Emerson can bring a lot to Rennes if he is half as good as Dréossi pretends he is, and if he adapts well, then the 5 Million € kid from the gulf could be the best signing in Ligue 1 this year. On the other hand, he could be blockaded out of the team by Briand’s similar physical profile, Wiltord’s eye for goal and Pagis‘ technique, making him just “another” Brazilian that could crash on the grassy shores of the Villaine… Like Lucas, Luis Fabiano, Vander or Dudu Cearense did… Perhaps if he were a swede I wouldn’t be so doubtful.