Al Ahly have entered the new season with a significantly reshaped squad after targeting several areas during the transfer window, but the scale of their spending has raised questions over whether the club paid too much for the reinforcements.
The Egyptian giants’ recruitment strategy was driven by a combination of immediate sporting needs and longer-term planning. Al Ahly sought greater tactical flexibility, replacements for important attacking players who had left, cover in positions affected by injuries and a younger squad built around emerging Egyptian talent.
Among the most notable arrivals are Akram Tawfik, forwards Sofiane Benjedida and Mounsef Bekar, left-back Tawfik Mohamed and young Egyptian players Ali Mahmoud, Aktai Abdullah and Mahmoud Salah.
The signings appear to address several weaknesses within the squad, although the financial commitment involved has become a major talking point.
Figures circulating around the deals put the approximate cost of six of the arrivals at 442m Egyptian pounds, prompting debate about whether Al Ahly’s spending was proportionate to the roles the new players are expected to perform.
Akram Tawfik offers midfield flexibility
Akram Tawfik is arguably one of the most tactically useful additions because of his ability to operate in both midfield and at right-back.
His primary value could come in the centre of the pitch, where he can perform as a number six and provide cover for Marwan Attia. He can also play alongside Attia, particularly on the right side of midfield, while contributing to defensive coverage and helping organise possession.
That versatility addresses an issue Al Ahly have faced since the departures of Aliou Dieng and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane.
Marwan Attia has often been required to carry significant responsibility in the defensive and organisational aspects of midfield, but the team has lacked a reliable alternative capable of performing the same duties.
Tawfik therefore represents more than additional squad depth. His ability to perform different roles gives the coaching staff greater flexibility when selecting formations and responding to opponents.
The fact that the former Enppi player arrived without a transfer fee also increases the apparent value of the deal.
New attacking options
Al Ahly also had to address the loss of important goalscorers, including Wissam Abou Ali and Trezeguet, who departed during the previous two summer transfer windows.
The response was to recruit Benjedida and Bekar, two players whose attacking statistics suggest they could contribute immediately.
Together, the pair produced 38 goals and nine assists last season, giving them a combined contribution of 47 goals.
Benjedida scored 20 times and supplied two assists as a centre-forward, while Bekar, operating primarily from the wing, scored 18 goals and created seven more.
Bekar’s numbers are particularly notable when compared with his expected-goals figure. He was projected to score 10.5 goals but finished the campaign with 18, indicating that his actual scoring output substantially exceeded expectations.
The combination gives Al Ahly different ways to attack. Benjedida provides a conventional goalscoring threat through the middle, while Bekar can operate from wide areas, attack spaces and contribute both goals and assists.
Injury forces emergency recruitment
Not every signing formed part of Al Ahly’s original transfer strategy.
The club was forced to react after Youssef Belamri suffered a cruciate ligament injury during a friendly match at the team’s training camp in Spain.
That setback created an immediate need at left-back, leading Al Ahly to sign Petrojet defender Tawfik Mohamed.
The move demonstrates how quickly the club can respond when an unexpected problem emerges. However, because the signing was made in reaction to an injury rather than as part of the original plan, the value of the deal will ultimately depend on whether Mohamed can provide sufficient cover during Belamri’s absence.
Youth becomes a central part of the strategy
Another defining feature of Al Ahly’s recruitment has been the decision to bring in younger Egyptian players.
Ali Mahmoud and Aktai Abdullah, both 23, arrived from Enppi as part of an effort to lower the squad’s average age while developing players who can contribute over a longer period.
Aktai Abdullah had already attracted attention after being included in the preliminary Egypt squad before the World Cup, although he did not make the final list.
Mahmoud Salah is another example of the club’s youth-focused approach. The winger is regarded as a direct player capable of attacking spaces, while also offering defensive work. He has represented Egypt at under-20 level.
The strategy allows Al Ahly to address immediate squad requirements while simultaneously building for the future rather than depending entirely on established players.
Spending raises the biggest question
The sporting logic behind the recruitment is clear, but the financial side is more difficult to ignore.
The four Egyptian deals are reported to have cost about 140m Egyptian pounds: 30m for Ali Mahmoud, 30m for Aktai Abdullah, 40m for Mahmoud Salah and 40m for Tawfik Mohamed.
The combined reported value of Benjedida and Bekar is approximately $6m, equivalent to about 302m Egyptian pounds.
That brings the estimated total for the six deals to roughly 442m Egyptian pounds.
The question for Al Ahly is therefore not simply whether each individual player represents value for money. It is whether the combined financial commitment was necessary in a single transfer window.
Spending 30m or 40m Egyptian pounds on a young player could prove worthwhile if that player develops into an important first-team player or eventually generates a substantial sporting or investment return.
However, committing similar amounts to several young players simultaneously increases the financial risk. Some may require considerable time to adapt to the expectations and pressure associated with playing for Al Ahly, while others may initially serve mainly as squad options rather than first-choice players.
The same applies to emergency recruitment. Bringing in a player because of a serious injury can be justified, but the financial cost becomes more difficult to defend if the replacement fails to deliver performances that match the investment.
Al Ahly have therefore addressed several clear weaknesses and added greater depth, versatility and youth to their squad.
Whether they have actually become a better team, however, will depend less on the number of new arrivals and more on how quickly those players adapt, how important their roles become and whether their performances justify the substantial cost of assembling the new-look squad.
