Seif Darwish set for Hussein Irbid return as Asian Cup push shapes transfer call

Seif Darwish is on the verge of rejoining Hussein Irbid, with the Jordan international hopeful that a return to the Jordanian Pro League can boost his chances of making the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

The 23-year-old, who became the first Jordanian player to sign for a Polish club when he joined Stal Mielec last summer, is expected to complete his move back to Hussein Irbid in the coming hours, after the final details of the deal were agreed.

Darwish had offers to remain in Poland as well as two proposals from Jordanian clubs, Hussein Irbid and Al Faisaly, but has opted to go back to the team where he previously won the Jordanian league title in the season before last.

According to information obtained by Kooora, the forward preferred a return to his former club despite interest from elsewhere in Poland and a rival domestic side.

Asian Cup motivation

Darwish is understood to be targeting a place in Jordan’s squad for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and believes playing in the local league will help him catch the eye of new national team head coach Badou Zaki.

His agent, Tadeu Martins, told Kooora that the past year in Europe had been a significant step in the player’s development.

“كان الموسم الاول لسيف في اوروبا مميزا للغاية. انه لاعب يمتلك طاقة فريدة داخل الملعب، وانا مقتنع بانه سيصبح قريبا احد افضل اللاعبين في منطقة الشرق الاوسط,” Martins said.

Darwish joined Stal Mielec on a free transfer last summer and was loaned this season to Stal Rzeszow, also in Poland’s first division.

Martins revealed that plans for Darwish to move within Poland fell through after a change in ownership circumstances at Stal Mielec.

“مالك نادي ستال ميليتس توصل الى اتفاق مع احد اندية الدرجة الاولى في بولندا، لكن بعد مواجهته بعض المشكلات وتركه منصبه، لم يعد من الممكن اتمام الصفقة,” he explained.

Evaluating options

With that proposed move no longer viable, Darwish and his representatives assessed a range of alternatives, both in Poland and Jordan.

“كما كانت لدينا ايضا عروض اخرى مطروحة، لذلك كان علينا تقييم الخيار الافضل لسيف بعناية، خاصة في عام يسبق بطولة كاس اسيا,” Martins added.

The agent believes that returning to Hussein Irbid and the Jordanian league could provide the right platform at a crucial time in Darwish’s career.

He pointed out that being back in Jordan would keep the player closely connected to the national-team set-up and allow him to build on-field understanding with potential international team-mates.

Martins said: “اوضح مارتينز ان العودة الى الاردن قد تكون مفيدة للاعب، لانها ستمنحه فرصة اللعب الى جانب لاعبين محتملين في المنتخب الاردني، والبقاء قريبا من اجواء المنتخب.”

He also stressed that the final decision over Darwish’s future was made by the player himself, after detailed discussions about his long-term prospects.

“تابع “جلست مع سيف وتناقشنا حول ما سيكون الافضل لمستقبله. بالطبع، بصفتي وكيل اعماله، اهتم كثيرا بمسيرته، وهو يعتبرني بمثابة اخ اكبر له. لكن القرار النهايي يكون دايما قراره هو”,” Martins said.

Loyalty to Hussein Irbid fans

Martins revealed that Darwish had turned down a move to another leading Jordanian club out of respect for the supporters of Hussein Irbid.

“واختتم مارتينز تصريحاته بالقول “تلقينا عرضا من ناد اردني منافس، الامر الذي كان من الممكن ان يتسبب في ايذاء مشاعر جماهير الحسين اربد، لكن درويش رفض اتخاذ هذا القرار احتراما لهم”,” he concluded.

Darwish is regarded as one of the standout emerging talents in Jordanian football, and his anticipated return to Hussein Irbid will reunite him with the club where he first made his name domestically before his European adventure in Poland.