The name of player Imam Ashour, Al Ahly and Egyptian national team player, has become almost daily linked with a move to the ranks of Saudi club Al Ittihad this summer to bolster the ranks of "Al Ameed" as part of preparations for the new season.
"Yalla Koura" had previously obtained an exclusive statement from Riyadh Al-Mizhar, the official spokesman for the Saudi club, confirming that the decision to sign Imam Ashour is in the hands of German coach Jens Fising.
Media reports indicated a desire from the German coach to strengthen the midfield this summer, with Egyptian international Imam Ashour among the most prominent candidates.
Besides the German coach factor, there are other reasons placing Imam Ashour on the radar of the Saudi "Dean of Clubs," which we will explain in the following report:
- Mario Mitaj's departure
Saudi media reports revealed that Albanian left-back Mario Mitaj is close to a move amid interest from Italian club Genoa to sign the player this summer.
"Asharq Al-Awsat" newspaper reported from Ittihad sources that there is a willingness to approve Mitaj's departure while strengthening this position by signing a local player, with a choice between Fares Abdi and Hussein Al-Sibyani.
The Saudi newspaper noted that Al Ittihad's management wants to use Mitaj's replacement to bolster the midfield with a foreign player, amid the German coach's desire to strengthen this position this summer.
- Numerical shortage
Coach Jens Fising insisted on signing a midfielder for several reasons, starting with the departure of French star N'Golo Kanté to Turkish club Fenerbahçe and his non-replacement since last January.
The Ittihad administration also decided not to renew the contract of Brazilian international Fabinho, who is now a free agent and can join any club this summer, marking another departure from midfield.
Al Ittihad also suffered another blow in midfield with the injury of player Hamed Al-Ghamdi during the team's current training camp, with the player announced to have suffered an ACL tear.
- Technical addition
Signing Imam Ashour would provide Al Ittihad with a technical addition thanks to the player's abilities, as demonstrated with Al Ahly since his arrival from Danish club Midtjylland in the summer of 2023.
Imam Ashour's level has made him a key player in coach Hossam Hassan's squad, leading to regular appearances in the 2026 World Cup, recently held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Imam Ashour was able to perform impressively, scoring two goals for "the Pharaohs," specifically in the matches against Belgium in the first group stage match and a header against Australia in the round of 32.
After Imam Ashour's recent performance in the World Cup, his market value rose to five million euros according to updates from the global "Transfermarkt" website.
The transfer of Imam Ashour to "the Tigers" is also considered economical given the transfer market in the Saudi league and the signing of financially huge deals, as seen between major clubs like Al Hilal or Al Ahly this summer.
Egyptian media reports discussed Al Ahly's stance if the administration receives an official offer to sell Ashour, noting that an offer similar to what happened with Palestinian international Wissam Abu Ali could make the Cairo club welcome the idea.
Wissam Abu Ali moved to American club Columbus last summer in a massive financial deal worth $7.5 million, and if this price is repeated for Ashour's deal, it could make Al Ahly agree to his departure.
- The architect of the Benzema deal
Adam Watani, the architect of Karim Benzema's transfer to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023, is playing a pivotal role currently with Al Ittihad officials to bring Imam Ashour, according to local media reports.
The reports stated that negotiations are currently underway between a senior Ittihad official and Watani to discuss the possibility of Imam Ashour's transfer to "Al Ameed," with contact made to discuss the offer expected to be presented to the club and the player.
Watani has played a major role in the departure of several Al Ahly players for professional moves abroad recently, most notably Mohamed Abdelmonem to French club Nice, and he also contributed to the transfer of Palestinian international Wissam Abu Ali last summer.
In the past period, Watani attempted to transfer Al Ahly player Mohamed Abdullah to France before Al Ahly officials refused to let the player leave.
Contract renewal
"Yalla Koura" learned earlier that there is a strong desire within the football administration to extend Imam Ashour's contract, which expires in the summer of 2028, as the administration wants to keep the player by offering him a deal to stay.
"Yalla Koura" previously reported Al Ahly's desire to offer a deal ranging between 40 and 45 million pounds, with the 28-year-old receiving an annual salary of 30 million pounds and 15 million pounds in bonuses and incentives if achieved.
"Yalla Koura" learned that Al Ahly's football officials are awaiting Imam Ashour's return to training on the 30th of this month to open negotiations with him regarding the contract renewal file.
