Al Ahly faces negotiation hurdles with star players

Egyptian giants Al Ahly are going through a challenging negotiation period with some of their key footballers, which has sparked speculation among fans and media.

The club management clarified that the decision to delay contract renewals for players, including Aliou Dieng, Ahmed Nebil Kouka, Hussein El Shahat, and Ahmed Abdelkader, was not due to interference from their new head coach, Jess Thorup. Rather, the uncertainties arose from tough results under interim coach Emad El Nahhas and distractions caused by international call-ups.

Sources confirmed that Hussein El Shahat received a lucrative offer from the Libyan League, which Al Ahly tentatively approved, but negotiations were paused after Zizo’s injury and Shahat’s subsequent standout performance against Zamalek. Talks later stalled due to Shahat’s injury, leaving his future unclear. Al Ahly offered him a one-year renewal, with a second year contingent on mutual agreement, but Shahat requested a longer deal.

For Aliou Dieng, the main issue is his playing time; he prefers regular starts to maintain his spot on Mali’s national team. He agreed to renew when he was starting regularly but hesitated when put on the bench, emphasizing his priority is not money. The club insists it will only focus on renewing contracts with players whose deals end this season, shutting the door on financial renegotiations for others. The issues reflect Al Ahly’s determination to stay within budget while keeping their star power.