Al Ahly to keep Morocco defender Achraf Dari after failing to find transfer

Al Ahly have decided to retain Morocco international defender Achraf Dari for the 2026-27 season after failing to find a club willing to sign him during the current summer transfer window.

The Egyptian club had explored both a permanent sale and another loan move for Dari, with the intention of freeing up a place for a different foreign player. However, those efforts have not produced an agreement, meaning the defender will remain part of Al Ahly’s squad.

Al Ahly will also not sign a foreign replacement for Tunisia midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, who has moved to Qatari club Al Shamal. The decision to keep Dari means the club will not use that squad place to bring in another overseas player.

Dari joined Al Ahly two seasons ago from French side Brest. He remains under contract with the club until the summer of 2028, but his time in Egypt has been affected by recurring injuries.

The 27-year-old spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Swedish club Kalmar. During his spell there, he made nine appearances in the Swedish league and did not miss a match while he was available to the club.

Dari scored once for Kalmar and was absent for the final round of matches after his loan expired. His temporary move to Sweden had been designed to give him regular playing time, while also allowing Al Ahly to assess possible options for his future.

The Moroccan defender made seven appearances for Al Ahly from the start of last season. Three of those outings came during the current international break, in matches in the Egyptian League Cup and the Egypt Cup.

His involvement with Al Ahly was limited by injury, with Dari missing 16 matches for the club during the campaign. Despite those fitness problems, Al Ahly have now opted to keep him rather than complete a transfer or arrange another temporary move.

Dari’s continued stay leaves him competing for a place in the Al Ahly defence as the club prepares for the new season. The decision also brings an end, for now, to attempts to market the player in the transfer window.

Al Ahly had been seeking a solution that would allow them to reshape their foreign-player quota following Ben Romdhane’s departure. With no suitable offer secured for Dari, the club will instead begin the season with the defender still on its books and without signing another overseas player to replace the Tunisia international.