Zamalek expect Juan Bezerra to return within days amid transfer standoff

Zamalek board member Hossam El-Mandouh says Juan Bezerra is expected to return to the club within days, despite the Brazilian forward’s refusal to join the squad during preparations for the current season.

Bezerra declined to report after receiving an offer from UAE club Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and expressing a desire to leave Zamalek. The Egyptian club rejected the UAE side’s proposal, prompting the player to maintain his position and stay away from the team.

Speaking on Al Nahar TV, El-Mandouh said Zamalek were continuing to communicate with Bezerra through formal and legal channels.

“Juan Bezerra will return to Zamalek within days. As for why he has not complained to Fifa, there are some situations that require calm and negotiation. We communicate with him officially and legally every day in order to reach a solution that serves Zamalek’s interests,” he said.

El-Mandouh was also asked whether Bezerra would return to Zamalek only to secure a further move away from the club. He said no decision would be discussed until the player was back in Cairo.

“Will he return to Zamalek in order to leave? There has been no discussion about this matter until he returns. We have told him that we will not speak until he comes to Cairo, and that we will not negotiate while he is abroad,” El-Mandouh said.

“What if he does not return? Every situation has its own discussion, but our legal position is one million per cent sound.”

Zamalek have previously stated that they would require a fee of $6m before allowing Bezerra to leave. El-Mandouh confirmed that the club had no intention of reducing that demand.

“We previously announced that we want $6m in order to allow Bezerra to leave, and we will not give up on that,” he said.

The Zamalek board member also acknowledged that the club’s limited public communication had contributed to criticism of its handling of the dispute.

“What harms us as a board of directors is that we do not speak very much,” El-Mandouh added.

Bezerra remains included in Zamalek’s squad for the CAF Champions League, according to information previously reported by FilGoal.com. His inclusion means he is still registered as part of the club’s continental campaign while negotiations over his future continue.

The dispute began after Shabab Al Ahli Dubai made an approach for the Brazilian and Zamalek rejected it. Bezerra subsequently refused to join the team for its pre-season preparations, while the club maintained that any departure would be subject to its financial conditions.

Zamalek now expect the player to return to Cairo in the coming days, where the club says it will address his future directly rather than hold further discussions while he remains outside Egypt.