Emam Ashour: Al Ahly and Egypt midfielder linked with Al-Ittihad move in Saudi Pro League switch

Emam Ashour, the Egypt international midfielder currently at Al Ahly, is being linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. The 28-year-old central midfielder, who wears No 22 for the Cairo giants, is under contract until 30 June 2028 but has emerged as a target for the Jeddah club as they look to reinforce their engine room.

Al-Ittihad’s interest comes with Ashour’s market value currently around €5m, a figure likely to form the basis of any negotiation given his long-term deal at Al Ahly. No fee has yet been agreed and the talks remain at the rumour stage, but the Saudi club are monitoring a player who has excelled domestically and on the international stage.

Ashour joined Al Ahly in July 2023 after a spell in Europe with FC Midtjylland, returning to Egypt in a deal worth just under €2.7m. Since then he has become a key figure in a side that has dominated the Egyptian Premier League and lifted the CAF Champions League in 2023-24.

On the international front, Ashour has enhanced his reputation at the 2026 World Cup, starting all five of Egypt’s matches and scoring twice. He was also part of the Egypt squad that finished runners-up at the 2021-22 Africa Cup of Nations and previously won the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.

Al Ahly, who have secured back-to-back league titles since his arrival, are under no pressure to sell given the length of Ashour’s contract, and any move to Al-Ittihad would require a significant offer to tempt the African champions to the table.