This summer saw the number of the foreign-based Egyptian players notably reduce, unlike what was expected a year ago. Last term, Amr Zaki was tipped for a while to join a European powerhouse, after having a splendid start to his loan spell at Wigan Athletic. Mido, who was gaining experience from the most competitive leagues on the globe for almost a decade, reiterated that returning to Egypt was never part of his plans. Others were still trying to carve out names for themselves in Europe, such as Essam Al-Hadari, Ahmed Abou-Mosallam and Sherif Ekrami. In the close season, however, they have all ended their overseas adventures to return home, either to look for places in Egypt squad or because they didn't have other choices. Many pundits were also speculating that several Egyptian Premier League stars would move away from their homeland ahead of the ongoing season. But conversely, most of them stayed put despite the offers they received. ENPPI's right winger Ahmed Al-Muhammadi was seriously approached by Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland, and both Premiership clubs were turned down by the Petroleum side. Ahli received an astronomical offer from their Emirati namesake for playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, and the deal fell through. Portsmouth sought to land Zaki after his return to Zamalek, but the White Knights rejected their bid more than once. Before rejoining Zamalek, Mido was reportedly eyed by Sunderland manager Steve Bruce; the Black Cats made the towering hitman no tangible offer though. Now the Egyptian league is crammed with big names, while Borussia Dortmund's Mohamed Zidan is arguably the only Egyptian player who's maintaining success abroad. These changes were by far unforeseen, and yet, they make a lot of sense.
Al-Muhammadi Ambitious Clubs With the league competition fiercer than ever, the majority of the Egyptian clubs tended to hold onto their key figures during the summer transfer window. The likes of ENPPI, Petrojet and Haras Al-Hodoud are aiming high this year. They are seriously looking to compete for the league title as well as other accolades. So in these days, suitors ought to come up with really worthwhile bids to have any chance of persuading one of those ambitious clubs to let go a star of theirs. "Their offer wasn't good enough for us to offload one of our best players," ENPPI commented on their refusal of Sunderland's season-long loan offer for Al-Muhammadi. Egypt's high flyers are not less determined to keep their prominent individuals at their disposal. UAE's Ahli made an exceptionally lucrative offer to sign Abou-Treika, however, their money wasn't persuasive enough for Egyptian champions Ahli, who are seeking to retain the league title. "Loaning Abou-Treika out in the meantime is not acceptable; we really need his services for next term," marketing director Adli Al-Qaeyi commented after Ahli decided to keep hold of their influential ace. Zamalek also insisted on keeping Zaki within their ranks and shunned Portsmouth's attempts to land him, hoping he will help them end their lengthy title drought this term. "They offered £3million or £2.5million plus 50% of the next sale to buy him permanently. They also made a £500,000 loan offer, but Zamalek aren't ready to sell," agent Nader Shawki told FilGoal.com. The only Egyptian player who joined a top-flight European club this summer is Gamal Hamza. He signed for Bundesliga outfit Mainz on a free transfer after his deal with Zamalek expired; therefore the move was smoothly sealed. Tarnished Reputation
Mido Apart from the Egyptian clubs' insistence on holding onto their high-profile players, the European sides' offers were not as financially rewarding as expected, thanks to the pharaohs' tarnished reputation. Portsmouth offered only £3million to sign Zaki on a permanent basis, which is half the price tag Zamalek put on the player's head last year. The 26-year-old ended his Wigan stint at a low ebb after suffering a sudden dip in form, and falling out with then coach Steve Bruce as a result of his persistent indiscipline. Similar antics from Zaki's compatriots in Europe over the past years have seemingly blemished the reputation of the Egyptian players outright, and thus their prices in the market have plunged. "Portsmouth board and coach (Paul Hart) have reservations about a possible deal with Zaki, because of the latter's problems at Wigan Athletic last season," media advisor Samir Al-Neel stated. "But (owner Soliman) Al-Fahim really believes in him, and asked the club's officials to give him a chance." Dubai wealthy businessman Al-Fahim has just completed his takeover at Fratton Park and is set to splash cash for new signings, although he was far from generous while holding talks over the Zak. Sunderland's bid for one-club man Al-Muhammadi was deemed unsatisfactory either, considering his unique capabilities and potential. "Apparently, (Sunderland coach) Steve Bruce is affected by his unpleasant experience with Amr Zaki, and that's why he was hesitating to complete Al-Muhammadi deal," an ENPPI statement read. Mido, whose unprofessional attitude on and off the field has always been slated, failed to move to a Premiership club this year, following Middlesbrough's relegation to the English Championship. Former Ahli goalie Al-Hadari faced some disciplinary measures during his spell at Switzerland's Sion for showing lack of commitment, and eventually ended up at Ismaili. Talented midfielder Hossam Ghaly, who currently plies his trade at Saudi Arabia's Nasr, blighted his spell at Tottehnham Hotspur over two years ago when he took off his jersey and tossed it.
