After losing two big titles so far this season, Ahly s management has made changes in the first football team s technical staff and has rebuilt the football committee in an effort to return to winning ways.
The Cairo giants terminated French coach Patrice Carteron s contract a few hours after the team was eliminated from the Zayed Champions Cup on Thursday, less than two weeks after losing the African Champions League final to Tunisia s Esperance in Rades.
Ahly s management announced that they will unveil within 10 days the name of the team s new coach.
Moreover, reports in the Egyptian media have linked Ahly with a heavy transfer market in a step from the management to rebuild the team to return to winning ways like they did in the 2004 season, when they signed Mohamed Barakat, Mohamed Abou-Treika, Eslam El-Shater and Emad El-Nahas, the players who led the team to secure the domestic and continental titles.
Ahly s top transfer targets:
Taher Mohamed
Taher Mohamed
Full name: Taher Mohamed Ahmed
Team: Arab Contractors
Playing position: Forward
Date of birth: 7 March 1997 (age 21)
Place of birth: Cairo, Egypt
Height: 1.86m
Ahly are linked with Egyptian international and Arab Contractors forward Taher Mohamed after his superb performance with his team and the Egyptian national team during the ongoing season.
The 21-year-old Taher has said that he, like many Egyptian boys, had dreamed of wearing the Red Devils jersey since he was young.
"When I went to try out with Arab Contractors, I was wearing Ahly s T-shirt," Taher told a television programme.
Mohamed Awad
Mohamed Awad
Full name: Mohamed Hussein Awad Moussa
Playing position: Goalkeeper
Team: Al-Wehda (Saudi Arabia)
Date of birth: 6 July 1992 (age 26)
Place of birth: Ismailia, Egypt
Height: 1.84m
Egyptian international goalkeeper Mohamed Awad, who plays for Saudi team El-Wehda, has confirmed Ahly s talks with him to join the team when the January transfer window opens.
"Ahly held talks with me over the past 10 days to join the team, but it wasn t a direct negotiation with the management," Awad told a radio programme.
Amr Warda
Amr Warda
Full name: Amr Medhat Warda
Playing position: Winger - Attacking midfielder
Team: PAOK (Greece)
Date of birth: 17 September 1993 (age 25)
Place of birth: Alexandria, Egypt
Height: 1.82m
Egypt s national team winger Amr Warda, who plays with Greece side PAOK, is reportedly linked with a return to his home team Ahly after falling out of favor with the manager of the team.
The 25-year-old Warda was left out PAOK s squad during this week s league game against Xanthi FC.
Mohamed Mahmoud
Mohamed Mahmoud
Full name: Mohamed Mahmoud Ali Ahmed
Playing position: Midfielder
Team: Wadi Degla
Date of birth: 7 May 1998 (age 20)
Place of birth: Egypt
The agent of Wadi Degla playmaker Mohamed Mahmoud confirmed that his client is close to wearing Ahly s jersey when the January transfer window opens.
"I held a meeting with Ahly s football director and we are close to concluding Mahmoud s transfer to Ahly," the players agent Nader Shawki told a television programme.
"Wadi Degla won t ask for more money for the transfer of Mohamed Mahmoud to Ahly," he added.
"The player himself prefers to wear Ahly s jersey despite interest from other Egyptian clubs, like Zamalek, to sign the player," Shawki said.
Hussien El-Shahat
Hussein El-Shahat
Full name: Hussein El-Shahat
Playing position: Forward
Team: Al-Ain (UAE)
Date of birth: 21 June 1992 (age 26)
Place of birth: Egypt
Reports in the Egyptian media have also linked winger Hussein El-Shahat, who plays for UAE side Al-Ain, with a move to Ahly during the winter transfer window in January.
"I have not decided regarding a move to Ahly next January, as I am concentrating now with my team playing in the Clubs World Cup," El-Shahat told Emirates sports television channel Abu Dhabi.
ENPPI midfielder Hamdi fathi, who was a target for Ahly last summer, and Makassa right-back Mahmoud Wahid - among others - have also been linked with a move to the Red Devils this winter.
Ahly are competing in the Egyptian Premier League as they are in the tail of the teams table with 11 points, while they have nine games in hand due to their participation in the CAF Champions League and the Zayed Champions Cup. They also compete in the Egypt Cup s 16th round.
