Tunisian midfielder Anis Boujelbene said on Wednesday that he opted to sign for Ahli despite having offers from France's Montpellier and Saudi sides Ittifaq and Nassr. "Joining Ahli isn't a surprise move. In January, anything can happen," said Boujelbene, whose former club Sfaxien had an initial agreement with Zamalek over the player's contract. "Ahli's offer was better than those of Montpellier, Ittifaq and Nassr. Besides, Ahli s a giant club that you can't turn down," the 29-year-old told a press conference in Cairo. Boujelbene captained Sfaxien against Ahli in the African Champions League finals in November when the Egyptian powerhouse claimed their fifth title with a 2-1 aggregate victory. He is one of the most prominent figures in Tunisia's domestic football and was the hero of the southern city of Sfaxien.
Boujelbene will fly back to Tunisia late on Wednesday and is set to link-up with his new team mates on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ahli marketing director Adli Al-Qayei said that "some people" tried to block Boujelbene's deal or at least delay it but the club managed to seal the move. Al-Qayei stressed that his side's arch-rivals Zamalek are totally clear and that they had no role in the attempts of blocking the deal. Though, he refused to identify these people. Boujelbene is Ahli's third signing in January after striker Abdul-Hamid Hassan and right-winger Ahmed Adel.
