Report: Tim Cahill in talks with Al Wahda FC, move to be confirmed after Asian Cup

The National, Abu Dhabi's state-owned English-language newspaper, is reporting Tim Cahill has a "tentative" deal agreed with Al Wahda FC, a state-owned soccer team based in Abu Dhabi (its owner and chairman is a member of the United Arab Emirates' royal family).

Per the report, the formalities of the contract will be worked out after Cahill's participation in the ongoing Asian Cup is concluded.

Coincidentally, the Socceroos play United Arab Emirates in the semifinals of that competition on January 27. If Australia were to win that encounter, Cahill's move could have the unusual distinction of mildly irritating soccer fans in two countries: those of the UAE, whose team's Asian Cup run he would have helped to end, and those in his home land who might question why the national team's all-time leading scorer would not prefer to play in A-League, Australia's top flight.

But those are future considerations. Cahill said before Asian Cup kicked off that he would have an announcement to make about his future after Asian Cup; the new RBNY management regime has said very little to suggest it is firmly a part of that plan.

From a New York Red Bulls' perspective, it has long seemed likely Cahill would be leaving the team. The primary question is, since he has a year left to run on his contract with RBNY: can the club can extract any significant value from his transfer? The prospect of a move to a team owned (in effect) by the same family that owns NYC FC is encouraging in that regard: Al Wahda has no shortage of cash, if that is what it will take to get Cahill's contract out of RBNY's hands. (And we sincerely hope that is what it will take.)

We will find out more, no doubt, when the Socceroos' Asian Cup adventure is over (which will be no later than January 31).