CAIRO: Emad Meteb is trying to reach an out-of-court settlement with Standard Liege after failing to honor the contract he recently signed with the Belgian outfit, his agent said on Friday.
The 27-year-old striker joined Standard after his contract with Ahly expired but he abruptly returned to Cairo few days after being unveiled as a new signing for the 10-time Belgian champions.
"Meteb made it clear that he does not want to play in Belgium this season," his agent Nader Shawki told Modern Sport.
"He sat down with Standard chairman and told him the reasons for his decision but those reasons were unacceptable for the club.
"We are now trying to agree a compensation package but Standard want a large sum of money which we can not pay.
"But we are still trying to reach an agreement that could convince Standard not to complain to FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."
Shawki declined to disclose the reasons for Meteb’s decision but widespread reports suggest that he wants to return to Egyptian champions Ahly when the transfer window re-opens in January.
Meteb missed out on a place in Egypt’s squad for the 6-3 midweek victory over DR Congo in a friendly game as a result of his ongoing dispute.
He could be suspended and fined for a breach of contract if Standard opted to lodge a complaint with word governing body FIFA.
"We are taking it one step at a time. We will see what happens if we fail to reach an agreement with Standard," Shawki added.
