UAE club Al Wasl officially announced the signing of Iran international striker and former Olympiacos player Mehdi Taremi on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Taremi returns to Asian football after nearly seven years in Europe and will now represent one of Dubai’s leading clubs.

Taremi signed his contract with Al Wasl after travelling to Dubai and completing the final stages of the transfer. UAE outlet 365Scores had reported before the official announcement that the deal was signed on Friday evening and that the Iranian striker had arrived at the club for medical examinations and administrative formalities.

The 34-year-old striker joined Olympiacos from Inter Milan in the summer of 2025. In his first and only season with the Greek club, he scored 16 goals and provided six assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.

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Greek media reported in recent days that Taremi made a final visit to Olympiacos’ training centre in Renti before travelling to the UAE, where he said goodbye to the players, coaching staff and club employees. His contract with Olympiacos remained valid, but the two clubs reached an agreement on the Iranian striker’s transfer.

The move marks Taremi’s return to football in the region after seven seasons in Europe. He left Qatar’s Al Gharafa for Portugal’s Rio Ave in the summer of 2019 before going on to play for Porto, Inter Milan and Olympiacos.

The Iran international striker will play at Al Wasl under Portuguese head coach Rui Vitória. Al Wasl have opened the 2026–27 UAE Pro League season with two consecutive victories, beating United 5–1 before securing a 3–0 win over Kalba on Friday.

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Al Wasl will compete domestically and in the new AFC Champions League Elite season. According to the West Region league-stage draw, the team will face both Iranian representatives, Esteghlal and Tractor, making Taremi’s presence in Al Wasl’s squad particularly appealing to Iranian football fans. Under the competition’s new format, teams compete in a league stage rather than traditional four-team groups.

The fixture schedule confirms that Al Wasl will face Tractor and Esteghlal in the league stage, giving Taremi the opportunity to play against two Iranian clubs this season.

Al Wasl’s next UAE league match will be against Shabab Al Ahli at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai on August 28. If fit, Taremi could make his debut for the Dubai side. Shabab Al Ahli also have two Iranian players, Sardar Azmoun and Saeid Ezatolahi, in their squad.

At the time of publication, the transfer fee and the length of Taremi’s contract had not been publicly disclosed.