COLUMBUS, Ohio — After a months-long pursuit, the Columbus Crew finally introduced their newest striker on Tuesday in Wessam Abou Ali, who joined from Al Ahly in Egypt for a reported $7.5 million.

The Palestinian international, who arrived after a lengthy transfer saga that began back in December, didn’t mince words when explaining what attracted him to the Black & Gold – and his reasoning offers a fascinating glimpse into what top international talent values in the evolving Major League Soccer landscape.

“I was very convinced,” Abou Ali stated emphatically when speaking to reporters at Lower.com Field. “I’m the type of guy, I prefer to go to a club where people scout me well, where people have an idea of where they see my role in the team. And maybe not because I played one good game at

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