Al Shabab officially wrapped up their foreign business on Friday with the acquisition of exciting Argentine attacking midfielder Tomas De Vincenti.

De Vincenti, 27, signed a three-year deal after a €3 million (Dh12.3m) fee was agreed with Cyprus’ APOEL earlier this week. He has inherited the No. 10 jersey from Carlos Villanueva, a club legend who departed for Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad last month on a free transfer once his landmark seven-year stay in Dubai came to an end.

His replacement adds further quality to a non-Emirati contingent which has already seen prolific Dutch striker Ruud Boyman added.

Moldova forward Henrique Luvannor and Uzbekistan stalwart Azizbek Haydarov have been retained, with new coach Fred Rutten expected to illicit an upturn from last term’s fifth-placed finish in the Arabian Gulf League.

De Vincenti arrives on the back of an epic goodbye performance in the UEFA Champions League. He scored the third goal during a 3-0 home victory against Rosenborg on August 2 which saw APOEL overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit and reach the competition’s play-off round.

The expert free-kick taker scored 43 goals in 102 games since joining in January 2014, lifting the Cypriot First Division crown three times and the Cypriot Cup twice.

APOEL alumnus have provided mixed recent results in the UAE. Coach Ivan Jovanovic continues to shine with Al Nasr, but Macedonia winger Ivan Trickovski soon exited Al Maktoum Stadium in 2014/15.