Ceramica Cleopatra unable to advance for Gradisar as salary demands stall deal

Ceramica Cleopatra’s move for Al Ahly striker Nino Gradisar has ground to a halt, with the Egyptian club unwilling to cover more than 30% of the Slovenian’s annual salary, according to a source at the club.

The Cairo side are seeking to sign Gradisar as a replacement for South African forward Fagrie Lakay, who has left to join Libyan club Ahli Tripoli.

A Ceramica Cleopatra official told FilGoal.com that talks with Al Ahly over Gradisar were brought to a standstill after a recent friendly between Al Ahly and Al Nasr.

“The negotiations stopped with Al Ahly regarding the signing of Gradisar after the friendly match they played against Al Nasr,” the club source said.

“We are waiting for a final position and we cannot afford to bear more than 30% of the player’s annual salary,” the source added.

Salary obstacle

Gradisar is due to earn around $1.6m with Al Ahly in the new season, a figure that has proved prohibitive for Ceramica Cleopatra as they explore a potential deal.

With the club making clear they are not prepared to go beyond funding less than a third of that package, the proposed transfer is effectively on hold until Al Ahly clarify their stance or adjust their financial expectations.

Ceramica Cleopatra had identified Gradisar as their main option to fill the void left by Lakay’s departure to Ahli Tripoli, but no agreement has been reached on how his wages would be shared.

Al Ahly’s attacking reshuffle

Al Ahly, meanwhile, have already moved to reinforce their forward line.

The Cairo giants have signed Moroccan striker Sofiane Benjdida, who had been the leading scorer for Maghreb Fes.

They are also close to completing a deal for Algerian forward Monsef Bakrar, currently on the books of Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.

Gradisar featured for Al Ahly in the friendly against Al Nasr of Cairo, scoring twice in a performance watched closely by the club’s new Moroccan head coach Hussein Ammouta.

Pre-season plans

Al Ahly’s preparations for the new campaign continue with a friendly against Petrojet on 5 August.

The team are then scheduled to travel to Spain on 6 August to begin an overseas training camp as part of their pre-season programme.

As part of that camp, Al Ahly have announced they will face Barcelona in a friendly on 19 August in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

The outcome of Gradisar’s situation, and whether Ceramica Cleopatra can revive their interest under revised terms, now appears likely to depend on Al Ahly’s final decision regarding the striker’s role and salary ahead of the new season.