Emam Ashour: Konyaspor's Bold Bid vs Al-Ahly's Resolve
Emam Ashour has become the latest flashpoint in a tug-of-war between Turkish ambition and Egyptian resolve.
The Al-Ahly midfielder is once again in the sights of Turkish clubs, with Konyaspor pushing hard to prise him away from Cairo. Yet, inside Al-Ahly’s corridors, the message is blunt: no official offer has arrived, and they are not in the mood to lose any of their core players.
Konyaspor raise the stakes
Media figure Ahmed Shobier revealed on his radio programme that Konyaspor have significantly upped their proposal for Ashour, taking their bid to 4 million and 250 thousand dollars after earlier, lower attempts during the summer window.
From Konyaspor’s side, the story is very different to what is being told in Egypt.
According to Shobier, a member of the Turkish club’s board insisted they have already sent the improved offer and pushed Al-Ahly to “check their official email” to find it. The same official stressed that this is Konyaspor’s final bid to get the deal over the line, underlining just how desperate they are to bring Ashour to the Turkish league.
Al-Ahly, though, are not buying into the noise. Shobier explained that the Red Castle’s board are convinced someone is trying to manufacture a crisis around Ashour, stirring uncertainty inside the squad at a crucial stage of their preparations.
A promise bigger than Salah’s welcome
Konyaspor have not limited themselves to talking numbers. They have gone for symbolism and spectacle.
Through Shobier, their board member sent a striking message: Konyaspor want to receive Ashour and celebrate him “in a better way than what happened with Mohamed Salah” after the Egyptian star’s move to Trabzonspor.
That is a bold benchmark. Salah’s transfer to Trabzonspor triggered huge excitement in Turkey, with a massive public reception and celebrations that dominated headlines and social media. For Konyaspor to publicly vow an even bigger welcome for Ashour shows the scale of their intent and the value they place on landing him.
The Turkish club are not just watching from afar. Shobier added that Konyaspor are tracking Ashour closely while Al-Ahly continue their training camp in Spain, following his every step and monitoring his position on possible moves. Their information, relayed by Shobier, is that Ashour has no desire to head to the Gulf, shutting down one possible avenue and sharpening focus on a European switch.
Al-Ahly dig in
On the other side of the equation stands a club determined to hold its line.
Shobier made clear that Al-Ahly’s stance this summer is to keep their key men. The board do not want to part with any of their important figures unless a “huge offer” arrives, the kind that is simply too big to reject.
Ashour is not the only name ringfenced. Shobier listed Mostafa Shobier, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany and Marwan Attia among the players Al-Ahly are intent on retaining, a core spine the African giants believe is essential for the coming season’s battles at home and on the continent.
So the scene is set: a Turkish club raising its bid and promising a reception to rival one of the biggest Egyptian stars abroad, against an Al-Ahly board publicly insisting there is no offer on the table and no desire to sell.
If Konyaspor’s final bid really has landed in that inbox, the next move belongs to Cairo.
