Football
9y

Adriano close to completing Le Havre move, hoping to regain Brazil spot

Adriano has told BeIN SPORTS he is "99 percent" certain to sign for Ligue 2 side Le Havre, and hopes his displays will earn him a recall to the Brazil squad.

Adriano, 32, visited the club's stadium and infrastructure on Oct. 31, performed the ceremonial kick-off ahead of the win over Arles-Avignon, and also opened contract negotiations with the Normandy outfit.

"We're halfway there. We are just sorting out certain points of the contract. Some details need to be defined, on my side and that of the president. You will have the answer very soon," Adriano said, adding the impending completion of the takeover by former rugby player Christophe Maillol -- who is backed by Brazilian investors -- should herald the conclusion of his own deal.

"This week, when the president takes up his office -- he'll have the last word. It's going well. It's 99 percent done."

The former Brazil international, who scored 29 goals in 51 appearances for his country, has not played competitively since February, and notoriously struggled with his weight during his nine-year spell in Italy, where he played for the likes of Inter Milan and Parma.

TV pictures have indicated those weight issues are yet to be resolved, but Adriano stated his determination to again become a force to be reckoned with in order to catch the eye of Brazil boss Dunga.

"I want to become the player I was, to get back into the Selecao team," Adriano, who last featured for his nation in a major tournament at the 2006 World Cup, said. "I'm going back to Brazil. As soon as the contract is OK, I will restart training in order to be ready to play.

"You don't unlearn how to play football. I still have the desire to get back out onto the pitch to make the fans happy. I played for nine years in Italy, and now I have the chance to do that in France. I will do all I can to make people talk about my left foot again."

Le Havre are known for their keen eye in spotting talent, with Paul Pogba having been discovered by Manchester United there, while Steve Mandanda's talent also shone at the club.

Though Adriano arrives at the opposite end of his career -- after reportedly spurning the advances of Qatari side Al Jazira and Mexican outfit Club America -- he believes Le Havre can have a positive effect on him.

"I have had several offers. I liked the project Le Havre presented. I haven't done anything for three-and-a-half months, it's important for me to come back to Europe and focus on work. Le Havre gave me that opportunity, and I accepted," he said.

"'The president is a marvellous person, who is supporting me in my comeback. He wants to show that Le Havre have the means to re-launch a player's career and push him up to a higher level. The president really likes Brazilians and my work. I hope it's going to work. I've been warmly welcomed, I hope to make the people of Le Havre happy."

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