Al-Ittihad plot surprise midfield plan involving Kessie and Imam Ashour

Al-Ittihad are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing both Franck Kessie and Imam Ashour during the current summer transfer window, despite already adding two midfielders to their squad.

The Saudi Pro League club have been linked with a number of players ahead of the new season, with Al Ahly midfielder Ashour and former Al Ahli player Kessie among the most prominent names connected with a move to Jeddah.

Turki Al-Shadeed, a presenter on Saudi channel Thmanyah, said Al-Ittihad’s plans could involve bringing in the two midfielders together rather than choosing between them.

“Al-Ittihad’s priority is to sign (Franck) Kessie, the former Al Ahli player, while they also want to bring in Egypt international Imam Ashour,” Al-Shadeed said.

His comments came after Al Ahly announced that it had rejected an offer from Turkish club Konyaspor for Ashour. The reported proposal was worth $4.5m, but Al-Shadeed said the financial figure was not the reason for the decision.

“Today, Al Ahly issued a statement announcing that it had refused to sell Imam Ashour to Konyaspor for $4.5m, but the problem was not the amount. It was the Turkish club’s desire to pay it over three years,” he explained.

Al-Shadeed also claimed that Al-Ittihad had already made contact with Ashour’s representative to discuss the possibility of completing a deal during the current transfer period.

“Our sources confirm that Al-Ittihad contacted Imam Ashour’s agent, Adam Watani, to discuss the possibility of signing the player during the current period,” he added.

Ashour, who is an Egypt international, remains with Al Ahly after the Egyptian club rejected Konyaspor’s offer. Any move to Al-Ittihad would therefore depend on the Saudi club reaching an agreement with Al Ahly and the player’s representatives.

The reports come despite Al-Ittihad having already recruited two midfielders this summer. Senegal international Dion Lopy has joined from Almeria, while Rakan Al-Kaabi has arrived from Al-Fayha.

Al-Ittihad are also dealing with a reduction in their midfield options after Brazilian midfielder Fabinho left the club at the end of last season. The team have further been affected by long-term injuries to Mali midfielder Mamadou Doumbia and Hamed Al-Ghamdi.

Those departures and absences appear to have increased the club’s interest in strengthening the centre of the pitch, with Kessie described as the immediate priority and Ashour also under consideration.

Kessie previously played for Al Ahli, while Ashour is one of the leading players at Al Ahly. Al-Shadeed’s comments were made in a discussion aimed at Al-Ittihad supporters and have added to speculation over how the club intends to reshape its midfield before the new campaign begins.