Ismaily’s and Egypt U23 midfielder Omar El-Saaiy has completed a move to rivals Al Ahly for a reported fee of 50 million EGP.
The news comes after Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane’s move to Al Ahly fell through after the Reds failed to reach an agreement with Hungarian side Ferencvárosi.
Al Ahly’s head coach Marcel Koller is said to be a huge admirer of El-Saaiy and instructed the club’s board to complete his signing from Ismaily.
The 21-year-old is a product of Ismaily’s youth sector, making 33 appearances for the Yellows last season, scoring four goals and assisting further four.
El-Saaiy is also no stranger to Al Ahly, having played for the club’s youth academy between 2013 and 2016, before moving back to Ismaily, playing for six years in their youth ranks.
Ismaily was forced to accept Al Ahly’s 50 million EGP due to the club’s financial struggles, with the player signing a five-year deal with the Reds.
El-Saaiy now becomes Al Ahly’s fourth summer signing alongside Achraf Dari, Youssef Ayman, and Yahia Attiyat Allah.
On the international level, El-Saaiy has represented Egypt at U20 and U23 levels and was part of the Egypt team that took part in the WAFF U23 Championship; however, he failde to make the Paris Olympics squad.