Ismaili midfielder Ahmed Fathi will fly to England on Friday to undergo trial at Premiership side Sheffield United, the club's football director Sabri Al-Menyawi said. Al-Menyawi told Nile Sports Channel early on Friday that Fathi's trial period will last for a week as Sheffield aim to sign the Egyptian international in the January transfer window. The former Ismaili player told FilGoal.com previously that Sheffield made an initial bid of two million Sterling Pounds (EGP 11 million) for the services of Fathi. Ismaili board is expected to accept the English offer in order to pay the second installment of Hosni Abd-Rabou's deal to French side Strasbourg. Reading were also interested in the 22-year-old but they were not serious enough to make an official offer. Fathi underwent a trial with Arsenal three years ago but French coach Arsene Wenger opted to sign Ivory Coast full-back Emmanuel Eboue, who then established himself as one of the world's finest defenders. Sheffield also target Zamalek duo Ibrahim Said and Amr Zaki, but the Cairo giants turned down their offer for the latter but were willing to negotiate the transfer of Saied.
