Egypt midfielder Mahmoud "Shikabala" Abdel-Razek is likely to return to his boyhood club Zamalek after his current club, Portuguese Sporting Lisbon, dropped him from their UEFA Champions League squad. "Sporting is working on transferring Shikabala and the European market is already closed so he is likely to return to Zamalek," stated Samir Abdel-Tawab, the 28-year-old player's agent, to an Egyptian TV programme. The Cairo-based club Chairman Mortada Mansour announced Friday that he would allow their former star to return but under some conditions. "Shikabala is likely to return to Zamalek but we just need a chance to find him another offer abroad. There was a Greek offer for Shikabala but we rejected it and we are searching for one in Turkey and Russia as the transfer window is still open there," the agent added. The well-known Egyptian forward was previously the highest paid player on Zamalek's squad, but Mansour demanded that Shikabala take a pay cut. "I am in ongoing talks with Mansour and Hossam Hassan [Zamalek technical manager] but we need to reach a quick agreement with the Portuguese club first, especially as the transfer window will close Thursday in Egypt," Abdel-Tawab added. This all came after Sporting issued a statement on the player's behaviour hinting that he would return to Egypt having failed to meet the Portuguese side's expectations. Lisbon also decided not to include Shikabala in their Europa League squad following his failure to return to the team after playing a friendly against Ittihad of Alexandria in August as he was banned from leaving his country because of the lack of necessary military paperwork. Beside commitment issues, the player isconstantly criticised for failing to live up to his potential since joining last January. He made few appearances and struggled with fitness problems in the second half of the. Among Zamalek's conditions listed by controversial Egyptian lawyer Mansour for his return to Zamalek is that he apologise to the club and fans as well as sign behaviour guarantee forms. Shikabla is currently attending the Egyptian national team's preparation camp for a Tunisia home match in the second round of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier Wednesday. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO_Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/110209.aspx
