Star midfielder Hai signs up with mystery French club

He returned to Hanoi with the contract on June 14 to complete work visa procedures, and is set to go back to France this month for the medical. His contract with the club will only take effect after he passes it.

Hai had come to a basic agreement with Austrian club LASK in April, but when he and his agent went to Austria for further talks, the deal fell through.

His agent feared Hai would not get enough chances to play and advised him to give it up.

Hai then personally chose the French club, which was looking for a midfielder for the upcoming season, and they preferred Hai over a Brazilian candidate.

“Hai is very satisfied with the contract,” a source told VnExpress.

He has been with Hanoi FC for six years, playing 126 games and scoring 35 goals. At 24, he has won every domestic title, including the V. League thrice, the National Cup twice and the Super Cup thrice.

In 2018 he won the Vietnam Golden Ball for his excellent performance at the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Championship Cup and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U23 Championship that year.

He helped Vietnam win the 2018 AFF Cup and 2019 SEA Games and advance to the final round of this year’s World Cup qualifiers.

Head coach Park Hang-seo rates him the best attacking midfielder in Vietnam.

Hanoi FC negotiated with Hai for a contract extension, but he remained steadfast about wanting to play abroad.