Ahly made their first summer signing by acquiring the services of Malian defensive midfielder Aliou Dieng from Algeria's MC Alger, the Cairo giants announced on Friday. Dieng, a promising defensive midfielder, joins Ahly on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee. "Dieng was subject of interest from many clubs but the player's desire and the seriousness of the negotiations settled the deal in Ahly's favour," the club said in a statement. The 21-year-old started his career at Malian club Djoliba AC before joining MC Alger in January 2018. He made two appearances with Mali's Olympic team. His arrival means Ahly could be forced to offload one the four foreigners in their squad -- Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul, Moroccan striker Walid Azaro, Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi and Angolan winger Geraldo. The maximum cap on foreigners is four players, although the Egyptian FA previously hinted it could loosen the regulations by treating North Africans as Egyptians. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)