Zamalek Confirms Ahmed Fattouh Will Not Leave Amid Saudi Links

Zamalek shut door on Fattouh exit talk as Saudi links dismissed

Ahmed Fattouh is going nowhere. That is the clear message coming out of Zamalek after a swirl of reports tied the Egypt international to a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Saudi outlets had pushed the idea that Al-Fateh were circling for the left-back, buoyed by the level he showed with the Egypt national team at the recent World Cup. A player in form, a league with money, a convenient narrative.

Inside Zamalek, the response is blunt.

Media pundit Ahmed Shobier used his radio programme to pour cold water on the entire story, labelling the Al-Fateh talk as pure journalistic guesswork and insisting the Cairo giants have no intention of cashing in on one of their most reliable performers.

“One of the Saudi newspapers said that Al-Fateh is interested in signing Ahmed Fattouh, and Fattouh certainly delivered a wonderful performance at the World Cup, and overall he is one of the wonderful players,” Shobier explained, before underlining that Zamalek’s stance has not shifted: the player is not for sale.

The club, he pointed out, are not short of options on the left side of defence. Mahmoud Bentayeg is in the squad. Echo has renewed his contract and remains in the frame. Ahmed Khodary, who stepped in last season and held his own, is also available. On paper, Zamalek could afford to lose a left-back.

On the pitch, it is a different story.

For head coach Moatamed Gamal, Fattouh has become more than a specialist full-back. The technical staff value his versatility and have leaned on him in multiple roles in recent months, a tactical piece that gives Zamalek balance and flexibility in tight games.

His performances with Egypt at the World Cup only hardened that view. The higher the stage, the more composed he looked. Rather than pushing him towards the exit, that tournament has only increased his importance inside the club’s dressing room.

Shobier made that link clear, stressing that Fattouh’s World Cup form has boosted his technical value to Zamalek, not his market price in the eyes of potential buyers. Then he cut through the noise with a definitive line.

“Everything being circulated about Ahmed Fattouh is merely journalistic speculation, and I am one million per cent confident that it is impossible for Zamalek to let Fattouh go. This is a settled matter.”

While the rumours flicker outside, Zamalek’s focus stays on the pitch. The team continue their pre-season camp, stacking up friendly matches, sharpening combinations and fitness levels ahead of the new campaign.

The first real test comes on 21 August, when they open their league season against Al-Ittihad Al-Sakandary at Cairo International Stadium. Unless something dramatic breaks that “settled matter”, Ahmed Fattouh will be there, in white, exactly where Zamalek want him.