 He shared the top-scorer award for the Apertura 2006 with Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors) with 12 goals each.On 18 June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year deal with Al-Sadd in the Qatari League for a fee reported by "Clarín" at $22 million.However, he did not remain in Qatar long, playing just six league matches and scoring four goals, before heading on loan to English Premier League side Birmingham City.