Ehsan Haji Safi has joined FSV Frankfurt from Iranian side Sepahan FC, the club confirmed on Monday morning. Haji Safi has been handed a two-year deal with the Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion outfit.
Plenty of experience at a young age
VfL Bochum had, reportedly, been interested in signing Haji Safi but FSV have nipped in ahead of everyone and stolen him from under their noses. This is quite a coup for the club due to the player's experience at such a young age. At just 25 years old, he has already made a mammoth 71 appearances for the Iranian national team, scoring four times and playing all three games at the 2014 World Cup.
It is not just international level in which Haji Safi has performed well. Goal.com named him as the most promising player in Asian football in 2009 and 249 domestic outings would suggest that they were right. An attacking left-sided player, 37 goals and 49 assists is a fantastic return for someone who is equally comfortable at defensive midfield and left-back.
Haji Safi won the Iran Pro League and Hazfi Cup three times each while with Sepahan FC, and also finished as a runner-up in the prestigious AFC Champions League in 2007. He is in fine form this season, too, having notched up three goals in just five games and will look to translate that over to the 2. Bundesliga with FSV Frankfurt.
Oral pleased with his new arrival
Head coach Tomas Oral gave his thoughts on the deal to the official cub website, "Ehsan Haji Safi is, despite his relatively young age, a highly experienced international player and a World Cup participant." Oral believes that his arrival will help FSV to "close the gap" on the left side and will also mean that his "versatility" will add "more options" to their midfield.