Cairo - Saba:
Egyptian club Al Ahly is close to reaching an agreement with American side Columbus regarding the transfer of Palestinian striker Wissam Abu Ali, after initial negotiations stalled. However, recent hours have seen significant progress and a convergence of views between the two clubs.
The negotiations had witnessed a tug-of-war in recent days, with heavy pressure from Abu Ali himself to make the move to Major League Soccer (MLS).
A well-informed source at Al Ahly said on Sunday that Wissam Abu Ali’s transfer to Columbus is now closer than ever, with the American club’s latest offer receiving strong approval from Al Ahly’s management.
The offer includes a total of $7.5 million, with $5.5 million to be paid upon signing, and the remaining $2 million to be paid in January.
Columbus also agreed to increase the sell-on clause in Abu Ali’s contract to 15% instead of 10%, and raised the value of performance-related bonuses to $2 million instead of $1.5 million, based on the number of goals scored by the player.
The source confirmed that the deal could be officially announced within the next two days, following clear alignment between Al Ahly and Columbus on the key terms. Al Ahly is working to secure its interests in the deal, as Abu Ali is still under contract with the club for the next four seasons.
Wissam Abu Ali joined Al Ahly from Swedish club Sirius in January 2024 and has since played 60 matches, scoring 38 goals and providing 10 assists. He was crowned top scorer of the Egyptian Premier League for the 2023–2024 season.
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