Amoutta ready to sanction Ben Romdhane exit as Al Ahly close in on Al Shamal deal

Moroccan coach Hussein Amoutta has given his approval for Tunisia international Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane to leave Al Ahly, with the midfielder on the verge of a move to Al Shamal in Qatar.

Al Ahly have received an offer from Al Shamal to sign Ben Romdhane during the current summer transfer window, and negotiations between the clubs are understood to be at an advanced stage.

According to information obtained by FilGoal.com, only “minor details” remain before an agreement is finalised, with the proposed transfer fee set at $1.7m.

Amoutta, who took charge of Al Ahly earlier this year, is not standing in the player’s way and has indicated he is content for the deal to go through if the financial terms are met.

Competing offers and player stance

A source at Al Ahly had previously told FilGoal.com that the Cairo club received two formal bids for Ben Romdhane’s services.

The source said: “Al Ahly received two offers from Al Hazem of Saudi Arabia and Al Shamal of Qatar to sign Ben Romdhane.”

The same source confirmed that the 25-year-old has been fully briefed on the interest and is open to a move, provided Al Ahly are prepared to cash in.

“He was informed of the offers and he welcomed them, but that is on the condition that Al Ahly are open to selling him,” the source added.

With Amoutta now signalling that he will not oppose the transfer and Al Shamal close to a full agreement with Al Ahly, the Qatari side are understood to be leading the race for the player.

Financial reasoning behind likely sale

Within Al Ahly, the emerging consensus is that approving Ben Romdhane’s departure would make sound financial sense for the club.

The same Al Ahly source explained: “Therefore, the most likely decision is to agree to his departure, especially as this move would allow the club to recover the amount it paid for him and achieve additional financial gains.”

The figures involved in the talks with Al Shamal would see Al Ahly recoup their initial outlay on the Tunisian and generate a profit in the process.

Ben Romdhane’s record at Al Ahly

Ben Romdhane joined Al Ahly at the start of the current season from Hungarian side Ferencvaros, arriving with a reputation as a dynamic midfielder capable of contributing in both phases of play.

Since moving to Cairo, he has made 36 appearances in all competitions for Al Ahly, scoring twice and providing four assists.

His campaign has included domestic and continental outings, and while he has not been among the team’s most prolific attacking players, his versatility and work rate have made him a regular part of the matchday squad.

However, with interest from abroad and Al Ahly keen to balance their books while reshaping the squad under Amoutta, the club now appear ready to allow the Tunisian to pursue a new challenge in the Qatar Stars League.

Should the final points of negotiation be resolved as expected, Ben Romdhane’s spell with Al Ahly looks set to end after a single season, with Al Shamal poised to secure his signature for the upcoming campaign.