Al Ain Club officially announced today the signing of young Cameroonian striker Baba Bilo Illo. While the club's official account did not disclose the details of the deal, sources confirmed that the contract runs until 2030, making him the club's first signing to reinforce the attacking line in the current summer transfer window.
Al Ain's move to sign the promising Cameroonian top scorer, aged 21, comes as a replacement for the departure of historic Togolese striker Laba Kodjo, whose stint with the team has come to an end. The Al Ain administration successfully concluded the deal after reaching a final agreement with Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane — the original holders of the player's contract — seeing off several Gulf and European offers that competed for the African talent's services.
Sports sources and reports indicated that the deal's value reached approximately $1 million. The new Cameroonian striker is set to be registered as a resident player, which grants Al Ain's technical staff exceptional tactical flexibility and strong attacking options across all domestic and continental competitions, without affecting the club's designated foreign player quota.
Baba Bilo Illo delivered impressive and outstanding performances during the last season he spent on loan at Hassania Agadir in the Moroccan league, where he managed to score 14 goals and create numerous chances, finishing as runner-up in the competition's top-scorer standings and attracting the attention of Al Ain's scouts.