Egyptian transfer deadline: Mohamed Elneny among players still without clubs

The Egyptian transfer window closes at midnight on Saturday, 15 August, leaving a number of established Egyptian footballers without a club as the deadline approaches.

No Egyptian team will be able to complete any new signings after the market shuts. However, players who are not registered with a club will still be able to move to leagues in other countries where the transfer window remains open.

Among the most prominent names still without a team is Mohamed Elneny, who is 34. The midfielder is joined on the list by forward Ahmed Hassan “Koka”, 33, and Amr Warda, 32.

The players currently without clubs are:

– Mohamed Elneny, 34 – Ahmed Hassan “Koka”, 33 – Amr Warda, 32 – Ahmed Ayman Mansour, 32 – Mohamed Ashraf “Rouqa”, 33 – Mohamed Abu Gabal, 37 – Mohamed Abdel Ghani, 33 – Mostafa Ashraf, 22 – Mahmoud Alaa, 35 – Mahmoud Metwally, 33 – Ali Gabr, 37 – Ahmed Mahmoud, 23 – Mohamed Hassan, 32 – Hatem Sakr, 24 – Hesham Mohamed, 36 – Abdel Rahman Khaled “Gibna”, 30 – El-Hany Soliman, 42 – Hassan Shahin, 33 – Islam Atia, 27

The list includes players with extensive experience in Egyptian football, as well as younger figures such as Mostafa Ashraf, who is 22, and Ahmed Mahmoud, 23.

Goalkeeper El-Hany Soliman is the oldest player named, at 42, while Mohamed Abu Gabal and Ali Gabr are both 37. Other experienced players on the list include Hesham Mohamed, 36, Mahmoud Alaa, 35, and Mohamed Elneny, 34.

The situation is not limited to the players named above. FilGoal.com reported that many other Egyptian players, particularly those competing in the lower divisions, are also without clubs as the domestic deadline nears.

Several players in those leagues left their teams only days or hours before the transfer market was due to close, increasing the number of unattached footballers seeking new opportunities.

The final day therefore represents the last chance for Egyptian clubs to add players during the current summer window. Once midnight passes on Saturday, no player who is not registered with a team will be able to join an Egyptian club during this transfer period.

Those players will, however, retain the possibility of continuing their careers abroad. They can still sign for clubs in leagues whose transfer windows have not yet closed, meaning the end of the Egyptian market does not necessarily mark the end of their immediate chances of finding a team.