European and African clubs are in a supremacy battle over who secures the signature of the biggest talent in north part of Africa.
Walid Azarou is the most sought-after striker emerging from this part of our continent and has inevitably found himself the subject of a bombardment of interest from foreign and African teams alike.
Al Ahly Sporting Club are the side to put up with the pockets of harassment from outfits ready to see them part with their prized possession by all means possible.
A move had been tipped to occur last January but the Egyptians held firmly on their starlet, refusing to give into overtures of any sort despite the lucrative proposals.
Metz were among a litany list of Ligue 1 teams trailing the forward’s path in January. As the transfer tug-of war raged on, the Cairo outfit’s chairman Mahmoud El-Katib bumped up the ace’s fee in a deliberate effort to ward off admirers as he looked to retain all his players aimed at trying to re-establish dominance in the Total Caf Champions League.
However, now that Walid is not only a record-breaking foreigner with the most goals in the Egyptian Premier League, but the hottest prospect in the region, El-Katib’s stance not to sell might after all soon soften.
With moneybags like Bundesliga side Augsburg and EPL newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers knocking on Al Ahly’s door, it remains to be seen how long will The Red Devils of Cairo continue to dig their heels.
In a latest development, newly appointed football director of Ahly Mohamed Youssef, poured cold water on rumours regarding his players leaving.
“The foreign trio [Ajayi, Azarou and Maaloul] are not for sale. They are all primary elements to Al Ahly’s success in the future,” said Youssef.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“There’s also not much time to sell key players in the transfer window and quickly find replacements. Al Ahly is a club that seeks trophies and not financial profit.[/perfectpullquote]
“We haven’t received any official offers in the past weeks but if we do, then we’ll have to discuss this with the club’s Football Committee and come up with a decision,” he states.
The protracted saga is on the cusp of taking an unexpected twist after coach Badry resigned last month hours after he clutched the capital-based side their 40th premier league title.
The 21-year-old goal-getter who struck back of the net nineteen (19) times was at first not receptive to idea of seeking new pastures, owing to his ties with the former Ahly coach.
However, now that Hosam no longer occupies the helm, it’s being claimed that the Moroccan has reversed his stance and now wants out having grown homesick.
Reigning African champions Wydad Athletic Club have weighed into the saga hoping to lure him to Morocco.
Saudi Arabai’s Al –Ittihad are also understood to have made few inquires about the player’s availability.
€2.8m for a starlet who’d never played beyond Africa’s frontiers is unprecedented and the sum would have skyrocketed had an injury not ruled him out for the World Cup in Russia.
