The summer transfer market is piping hot as an exceptional 2011-2012 Egyptian Premier League season looms with 20 teams in the top flight for the first time. The big guns As usual, Ahli's summer has been anything but quiet as the defending champions keep on bolstering their squad with some highly-rated talents. Egypt international trio Walid Soliman, Al-Sayed Hamdi and Mohamed Naguib cost the Reds around EGP 19million, in addition to an EGP 1.5million to bring Ahmed Shedid back from Masri. Brazilian striker Fabio Junior joined from Portugal's Naval for around EGP 5.6million, taking Ahli's total spending spree to over EGP 25million. On the other hand, arch-rivals Zamalek have been working hard to keep their expenses down while looking to make convincing bargains in order to impress new boss Hassan Shehata. Even though they were outmuscled by big-spenders Ahli in the market, the Whites somehow succeeded in their mission by snapping up Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan on a free transfer, followed by Ghana international Karimu Alhassan. Striker Hussein Hamdi joined in from MCDR and defender Hani Saied signed from Masri in undisclosed deals, while Benin ace Razak Omotoyossi is on the verge of wearing the white shirt. The contenders Ismaili are facing unprecedented managerial instability and the process of signing new players has become second priority for the crisis-hit club. Last season's Dark Horse MCDR made an notable addition to their backline by bringing in Egypt defender Hani Saied on a free transfer from Zamalek, in addition to former long-serving Ahli striker Osama Hosni. Mokhtar Mokhtar's ENPPI only signed Egypt international striker Ahmed Belal on a free from Smouha, even though the mega sales of Ahmed Elmohamady to Sunderland and Soliman to Ahli injected a record EGP 30million to the club's safe.
Maged Sami brings Abdul-Wahed from Lierse to twin club Degla Police Union are also yet to make use of the big money generated from the sale for star defender Naguib to Ahli as they only signed Ahmed Kamal from Harras Hodoud for around EGP 1.5million. Masri lost influential duo Shedid and Said to Ahli and Zamalek, but the Port-Said club managed to make some good deals by adding international winger Abdul-Aziz Tawfik (ENPPI), Ayman Saied (Police) and Mahmoud Shaker (Ittihad) to their roster. Harras Hodoud have surprisingly remained quiet so far, even though manager Tarek Al-Ashri has been promised resources to intensify his squad by the board. Mid-table and relegation battlers Petrojet snapped up center-half Mohamed Younes from Zamalek, but have yet to add a replacement to star striker Hamdi. Gouna made some exciting signings in Police's Nigerian striker Minusu Bouba, Adel Mostafa (ENPPI) and Felix Awoa (Ittihad). Gaish brought in Ivorian striker Abou Kone from Zamalek, while Military Production have signed another player offloaded by the Whites in Wagih Abdul-Azim. Last season's bottom club Smouha have been working hard by acquiring former Ahli keeper Ramzi Saleh on a free transfer, in addition to Ahmed Abou-Mosallam from Production. The Alexandrians also loaned Hani Al-Egeizi from Ahli. Ittihad made a couple of impressive loan deals in Hazem Emam (Zamalek) and Afrotto (Ahli) as Ghana international midfielder Samuel Kyere joined in from Police. Arab Contractors have yet to make any significant changes to their squad while doing everything they can to keep Egypt U-20 starlets Mohamed Salah, Ali Fathi and Mohamed Al-Nenni on board. The most active club of the bottom zone have to be Wadi Degla, who sealed a couple of impressive deals in Mohamed Abdul-Wahed (Lierse) and Hassan Mostafa (Zamalek). The Caro side also signed Smouha's highly-rated full-back Hassan Al-Shami as well as midfielder Mostafa Shebeita from Ahli.
