Surinamese footballer Jahnowa Markeelo, a 23-year-old winger for the Swiss club Zurich, has received an offer from Al Jazira, which is strongly seeking to sign him. According to the Swiss website SFM Football, Markeelo will soon arrive in Abu Dhabi and receive a net annual salary of up to 1.5 million euros, plus bonuses that could increase the total value of the deal, while Zurich is demanding a fee of around 4.5 million euros to allow him to move to "the pride of Abu Dhabi." Markeelo, who began his career in Dutch academies, stood out for his speed, dribbling skills, and ability to create attacking opportunities before moving to the Swiss league, where his performance earned him the trust and status of one of the best rising talents in the winger position. Al Jazira's interest in Markeelo is part of a strategy to strengthen the team with young players who have European experience, reflecting the club's policy of integrating emerging talents and benefiting from their attacking abilities. It is expected that the deal will be announced in the coming days, following the player's medical examination. Markeelo is tactically flexible, capable of playing as a winger or a second striker, and has scored crucial goals and created numerous opportunities during his European appearances, making him a target for many Gulf clubs aspiring to sign young players with European experience to bolster their attacking line. Jahnowa Markeelo is a 23-year-old Surinamese-Dutch winger who started his football career in the Netherlands through several academies, most notably the youth teams of Ajax and Twente, where he honed his dribbling, speed, and playmaking skills. Markeelo turned professional with Twente in 2021 but did not play much for the first team before moving to Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie, where he played his first league matches and began to emerge as one of the rising young talents. In the 2023-2024 season, he left the Netherlands and joined the Croatian club Kustosija, where he scored several goals and delivered a standout performance that attracted the attention of European clubs, before transferring to Swiss Zurich in September 2024. He became a key player, featuring in dozens of matches in the Swiss Super League, scoring goals and creating chances. On the international stage, Markeelo was called up to the Suriname national team for World Cup qualifiers. Markeelo is known for his ability to play on both the right and left wings, and his speed, dribbling skills, and playmaking make him an influential attacking player, which prompted Al Jazira to make a strong offer to sign him before the transfer window closed.
