Al Ahly agree £50m deal to sign Mahmoud Salah from Ghazl El Mahalla

Al Ahly have completed the signing of 18-year-old Mahmoud Salah from Ghazl El Mahalla on a five-year contract, with the overall value of the transfer understood to be about 50m Egyptian pounds.

Ghazl El Mahalla sporting director Sherif El-Khashab said the figure includes the initial transfer fee, performance-related bonuses and tax payments, while also explaining why negotiations took time to conclude.

Speaking to Modern Sport, El-Khashab said: “I was attacked by some Al Ahly fans because they believed I was trying to delay Mahmoud Salah’s transfer, but that is completely untrue.”

He added: “The matter was not in the hands of Sherif El-Khashab alone. Everyone was working for Ghazl El Mahalla.”

According to El-Khashab, the delay was caused by discussions over how the transfer fee would be paid and the conditions attached to the bonuses.

“The delay in completing Mahmoud Salah’s deal was only because of negotiations between the two sides over the payment method and bonuses,” he said.

El-Khashab revealed that Ghazl El Mahalla will receive 35m Egyptian pounds in guaranteed payments. That sum is split into an initial 20m payment and a further 15m to be paid two months later.

A further 10m Egyptian pounds could be paid in bonuses if Al Ahly win the Confederation Cup, depending on Salah’s number of appearances and goals, and if he earns a call-up to the Egypt national team.

Al Ahly will also pay 5m Egyptian pounds in transfer tax, taking the total cost of the agreement to approximately 50m.

“We began our negotiations wanting to receive 60m Egyptian pounds for Mahmoud Salah, while Al Ahly offered a lower amount, so the talks continued until we reached the final agreement,” El-Khashab said.

FilGoal.com previously reported that the deal included the 35m Egyptian pounds payable in two instalments, along with 10m in add-ons. The agreement also gives Ghazl El Mahalla a 25% share of any future resale of the player.

Salah will personally give up 2m Egyptian pounds in outstanding payments owed to him by Ghazl El Mahalla as part of the transfer arrangements.

Nader Khalil, the club’s sporting adviser, helped mediate the negotiations and worked to narrow the gap between the two sides. A Ghazl El Mahalla source had earlier told FilGoal.com that the clubs were close to reaching agreement over the financial terms.

Salah made 28 appearances for Ghazl El Mahalla last season, scoring four goals and providing three assists. He is also part of the Egypt under-20 squad managed by Wael Riad, which is preparing for the North African qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 tournament.

Al Ahly are due to face Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday, 19 August, in the Joan Gamper Trophy. They will then begin their Egyptian Premier League campaign against Eastern Company Enppi on Sunday, 23 August.