Zamalek have accepted a lucrative $2.8 million offer from Jeddah-based club Ahli to sign left-back Mohamed Abdel-Shafi on a permanent basis, the Cairo club's chairman Mortada Mansour said on Saturday. "We reached a final agreement with Ahli Jeddah over the permanent transfer of Abdel-Shafi," Mansour, who spent heavily last summer to bolster an underachieving Zamalek squad, said in a television interview. "They will pay us $2.8 million in addition to the 1.2 million they paid last summer," he added, without revealing the length of the new deal. The 29-year-old, who has been one of Zamalek's most consistent performers since joining in 2008, moved to Ahli on a season-long loan last summer. He quickly established himself as a key player at the club and was acclaimed by Saudi media for a string of impressive displays. Abdel-Shafi, known for his defensive solidity and pinpoint crosses from the left, is also a regular member of Egypt's squad, having made 35 international appearances. He played a key role in helping the Pharaohs win the last of their record seven African Cup of Nations titles in 2010. Zamalek are likely to use the money generated from Abdel-Shafi's transfers to make new signings in the summer, with Mansour vowing to acquire the services of "17 players" after a highly successful season. The Cairo giants are closing in on their first Egyptian Premier League title since 2004, thanks in part to a host of new signings who quickly established themselves. Ahli's Jeddah rivals Ittihad are also in the hunt to sign Zamalek's in-form playmaker Ayman Hefni, Mansour added. "We can now make use of the money in the best possible way by signing Lionel Messi," Mansour joked. (For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/131549.aspx
