Grafite set to join Germany striker exodus

Posted Sunday, June 12, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Former Bundesliga top-scorer Grafite looks set to become the third star striker to leave the Bundesliga in recent weeks as reports in the German media on Saturday link him to Dubai side Al Ahli.

After Ruud van Nistelrooy quit Hamburg to join Spanish side Malaga at the end of May and Miroslav Klose signed for Italy's Lazio from Bayern Munich last week, Brazilian Grafite is now also poised to turn his back on Germany.

According to German daily Bild, Grafite is set to sign a three-year contract with the side from the United Arab Emirates worth around three million euros ($4.3m) per year.

Having scored 28 goals in 25 league games, Grafite was the Bundesliga's top-scorer in the 2008-09 season when Wolfsburg won the German league title.

But having scored 11 goals in 30 games in 2009/10, then just nine in 23 last season, he has failed to capture the form he showed in his first season, which earned him a place in Brazil's World Cup squad in South Africa last year.

Bild report Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath authorised the early release of Grafite from his contract while on holiday in Puerto Rico.

The Brazilian's departure would mean Wolfsburg have now lost both of their star strikers from the title-winning season after Edin Dzeko joined Manchester City in January for 37 million euros.

Between them, the pair scored a Bundesliga record 54 goals for Wolfsburg on the way to the league title.