Zamalek's football director Ibrahim Hassan says Mido is poised to sign a three-and-a-half year deal with the Whites starting this season. "He will arrive in Cairo on January 20th in order to put his signature to the contract," Hassan told Al-Mehwar TV. "We have already reached an agreement." Towering striker Mido, who has been training at Middlesbrough for several days, terminated his contract with Ajax Amsterdam early this month due to lack of first-team opportunities. The Egyptian nomad unveiled Zamalek's interest in his services a while back but was reluctant to rejoin his boyhood club because he is currently applying for British citizenship. Last week, he stated that he would consult his lawyers to see if he can acquire an English passport while being away from England. Mido, who turns 28 next month, was linked with a number of clubs after his departure from Ajax seemed inevitable. La Liga duo Deportivo Lacuruna and Espanyol approached him before media reports claimed that Premiership side Newcastle United and Belgium's Anderlecht were also in the hunt.
Hossam Hassan has always been an admirer of Mido Moreover, Boro manager Tony Mowbray implied Mido could return to the Riverside, provided that he accepts a cut-price offer. Zamalek are yet to announce the financial details of the anticipated deal. Mido, one the best talents Zamalek's youth system has ever nurtured, established himself as a professional footballer when he was just a teenager at the capital club. Shortly afterwards, he kicked off a long journey in Europe. Among other outfits, Mido plied his trade at Gent, Marseille, AS Roma, Tottenham Hotspur and Celta Vigo. His only stint outside the Old Continent over the past decade was at Zamalek last season, when he returned to the five-time African champions on a year-long loan from Middlesbrough. However, Mido failed to impress under the management of Hossam Hassan, scoring one goal in the first half of the season before moving to West Ham United in the winter of 2010.
