CAIRO: Gouna s newly-signed goalie Sherif Ekrami conceded that he wanted to rejoin Ahly in the close season, but their non-negotiable bid was not up to par. The 27-year-old sealed a move to Gouna this summer from Dutch outfit Feyenoord, but few days later the Red Devils approached him. Although Ekrami was first reluctant to reject Ahly s overtures, their below-par offer left him with no choice. [Ahly vice president] Mahmoud Al-Khatib phoned me up to start negotiations over a summer deal, but when I met with [goalkeeping coach] Ahmed Nagi we couldn t reach an agreement, he told Modern TV. I was offered a below-par contract, while the boardroom didn t show any flexibility and refused to alter it, so I had to turn them down. Money wasn t the reason why I wanted to return to Ahly, but no way could I accept this offer. Ekrami, who was trying to carve out a career for himself in Europe over the past years, is planning to settle down in Egypt in order to secure a place on the national side. He also pointed out that Primera Liga club Atletico Madrid and Germany s Werder Bremen was once interested in his services. A while back, I decided to leave Feyenoord, so as I can play more first-team football elsewhere, the former Ahly prodigy explained. But Feyenoord kept hold of me at the time, and didn t inform me of solid offers from Atletico and Bremen. Now after I spent the past three years on the bench, I m seeking a fresh start. Speaking of his objectives, Ekrami admitted that a return to Ahly still appeals to him. Playing for Gouna will enable me to receive an Egypt call-up and also to rejoin Ahly at some point in the future, he concluded. Coastal side Gouna have secured their first top-flight promotion last season.
