After several years of has-beens and never-beens, Al Ain have at last landed a man fit to follow in Asamoah Gyan’s exalted footsteps.

The acquisition of Sweden centre forward Marcus Berg both marks a major upgrade for the goal-shy Boss and shows serious intent to end a two-year spell without a trophy – an intolerable wait for the UAE’s most-decorated club.

With Arabian Gulf League champions Al Jazira already acquiring Whites hot shot Ahmed Khalil, plus teeing up deals for Uzbekistan winger Sardor Rashidov and zestful Brazilian forward Romarinho from defunct Qatari club El Jaish, they have also answered a direct challenge head on from their resurgent ‘Al Clasico’ rivals.

Such shows of power and ambition had become things of the past.

It was a masterstroke in July 2015 to bank a record-breaking €20 million (Dh81m) from the Chinese Super League’s Shanghai SIPG for the declining Gyan.

The body of the Ghana legend, who had notched an iconic 95 times in 83 top-flight run-outs, had started to fail.

Yet every attempt to secure an apt successor ended in disappointment. Initial replacement Emmanuel Emenike of Nigeria came with a petulant reputation, which he showed no desire to confound.

Brazilian Douglas (below) possessed a predatory instinct which brought him to attention at Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, though there was to be no way back once a critical penalty ruinously flew into the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium’s stands during the 2016 AFC Champions League final defeat to South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Ivorian Yannick Boli was embarrassingly paraded as a new buy before terms were sealed last January, leading to errant Saudi Arabia wild child Nasser Al Shamrani’s unplanned last-minute arrival on loan from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.

Each proved inefficacious. But Berg’s purchase now feels distinctly different, with Al Ain again shopping in the luxury section.

This is a centre forward who topped the Superleague Greece’s 2016/17 scoring charts, moving his overall tally onto 73 goals in 116 games for Panathinaikos.

Berg leads the line for a Sweden side who currently sit top of their World Cup 2018 qualifying group, ahead of France’s collection of superstars following victory earlier this month – a game he started.

And if you can seamlessly replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, anything is possible in the Garden City.