Al Ahly president Mahmoud El Khatib plans four key decisions before winter transfer market

Al Ahly president Mahmoud El Khatib and board member Sayed Abdel Hafiz are working on four major files before the January transfer window, as the club targets a squad strong enough to regain the CAF Champions League.

The priorities are contract renewals, winter signings, exits, and assessing loanees.

On renewals, Abdel Hafiz is set to meet the agent of Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng to decide his future, with Al Ahly preparing a new offer worth around 1.3 million dollars per year. Director of football Walid Salah El Din will also sit down with Hussein El Shahat, Ahmed Abdelkader and Ahmed Abdeen on Thursday to close their extension talks.

For incoming deals, El Khatib will return from a private break in Hurghada to meet Abdel Hafiz and finalise targets for a new striker, central midfielder, left-back and centre-back. Left-back Youssef Belaamri of Raja Casablanca and DR Congo forward Afimico Pululu of Jagiellonia Bialystok are among the names under consideration.

On departures, a club source told Kooora, there is agreement to move Moroccan defender Achraf Dari on, with efforts to place him in Qatar or the UAE, while there is also an intention to loan or sell Gradisar if a suitable offer arrives. The same source added that a Libyan club has asked about playmaker Afsha, and the situation of midfielder Ahmed Reda is being studied, including a possible loan.

Finally, Abdel Hafiz has decided to comprehensively evaluate all players currently out on loan, either to bring them back or cash in on their good form. That list includes Reda Slim, who is shining with Morocco’s AS FAR, and midfielder Ahmed Khaled Kabaka at Zed FC, with the belief that coach Jess Thorup can develop Kabaka’s potential even further despite his limited minutes so far.