Ismaili turned down Al-Merreikh's bid to land goalie Essam Al-Hadari in the January transfer window, although the Egypt keeper was willing to complete the deal. The Sudanese side 'unofficially contacted' Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan this winter, but the coastal club eventually rejected their overtures. Ismaili said on their official website that the offer was not 'financially rewarding', and thus they didn't accept it. "We decided to keep hold of Al-Hadari," an Ismaili statement read. The Dervishes first considered selling the 36-year-old goalie to generate some cash after suffering a financial plight. FilGoal.com understands that Ismaili put a $ three-million price tag on Al-Hadari's head. Al-Hadari, who is widely considered as the best keeper in the country's history, joined Ismaili in the close season after ending a 17-month spell with Swiss outfit Sion. The Egypt first-choice custodian relatively managed to maintain his assured displays between the sticks this season, but expressed his concerns over Ismaili's unconvincing start to the season. Al-Hadari was initially handed a four-month ban and a 900,000 euro fine for breaching his contract with Ahli in February 2008 to move to Sion, few days after helping Egypt win a record-extending sixth Nations Cup title. The sanction was later frozen by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upon his appeal. A final verdict is yet to be returned.
