Al Ahli have completed the signing of former Lebanon international defender Youssef Mohamad from German side Köln.

The 31-year-old defender, who has spent seven years in Germany, signed a two-year deal at the Rashed Stadium after his former employers agreed to sanction the deal.

Mohamad is considered to be one of Asia’s finest defenders and completes Ahli’s quota of foreign players under the Pro-League’s 3+1 ruling, thus ending the club’s interest in Australia winger Harry Kewell.

Mohamad began his career in his homeland with Safa Sporting Club before moving to Olympic Beirut in 2002. Two years later he was on the move again, this time to Freiburg where he was unable to stop the club’s slide into Bundesliga 2.

In 2007, the defender moved to Köln where he helped the Billy Goats win promotion back to the Bundesliga in his first season. In January 2010, Mohamad was named captain becoming the first Arab player ever to lead out a Bundesliga club.

Mohamad becomes Ahli’s fourth signing during the close season, following the high-profile arrivals Brazilians Grafite and JaJa and Chilean international Luis Jimenez.