APR FC new signing Raouf Merel Dao has broken silence on the ongoing transfer saga and cleared the air that he will play for the Rwandan champions next season. Dao and his agent Damien Adam Traore were spotted at Kigali International Airport on Monday night, June 23, as they returned to Burkina Faso after penning a two-year contract with APR FC. His move, however, sparked a controversy after media outlets in Tanzania reported that the 21-year-old had signed for Singida Big Stars. Talking to Times Sport on Monday night, Dao declined to comment of the Singida transfer saga but insisted that he only signed for APR. “I am an APR player, you have seen that I have signed and you can see I am in Rwanda to play for APR” he said in an interview. “I have committed myself to playing for APR and I will be back soon to start training as we are preparing for the competitions,” said the midfielder who is expected to return in Kigali on July 2 to start preparations for the new season. Dao was brought to APR FC by his agent Damien Adam Traore who also got Cheick Djibril Ouattara signed to the same club. Traore said that APR followed the transfer procedure to sign his player. “APR signed my player through his club (Sonabel) because he had a contract which was supposed to end in 2027. So, it is clear that he is APR player” the Burkinabe agent told Times Sport. It is reported that APR paid the player $65,000 (Rwf 94 million) in addition to a transfer fee worth $40.000 paid to his club AS Sonabel. Dao, 21, arrived at AS Sonabel from Kadiogo in 2024 and he had a good season of 2024-2025, contributing five goals and three assists in 29 games, a performance that saw him named player of the season in Burkina Faso. He also plays international football for the Burkina Faso national team.