TEHRAN – Mehdi Taremi was supposed to steal the show in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and help Iran bring an end to their 48-year-old title drought but failed to live up to the expectations.

Taremi has been linked with a move to Serie A side Inter Milan and it seems the striker was distracted by the news during the Asian Cup.

He scored three goals in the tournament, while he was a candidate to be the tournament’s best goalscorer.

Taremi was sent in the match against Syria, where Team Melli earned a hard-fought win over the minnow side in the penalty shootout.

The Porto striker could have played a key role in the match against Qatar in the semifinals but was not in his best form and Iran lost to eventual champions 3-2.

Now, the federation football of Iran has asked Amir Ghalenoei to inject fresh blood into Team Melli and the coaching staff must decide on future of the team.  

The 33-year-old forward failed to meet expectations in Qatar and is at risk of being replaced by the youngsters.