CAIRO: Standard Liege, who are on the verge of signing Egypt and former Ahly striker Emad Meteb, eye another Egyptian player in Zamalek’s attacking midfielder Shikabala.
Shikabala’s representative said on Sunday that Belgian side Liege have tabled an offer to acquire the 24-year-old’s services in the close season.
"Zamalek will have the final word over the matter, but I don’t think that they will accept Liege’s offer," Samir Abdul-Tawab told FilGoal.com.
"They have already rejected another offer from Anderlecht. The possibility of them accepting Liege’s offer is remote."
Belgian giants Anderlecht were told to up their bid for Shikabala after having an initial €3-million offer turned down by Zamalek.
The Cairo side are reluctant to offload their prized asset, who made no secret of his desire to play in Europe.
The 24-year-old has been a revelation for Zamalek since returning to his boyhood club in 2006 after ending a two-year spell with Greek side PAOK.
Despite the team’s barren run in domestic and African football, with the 2008 Egyptian Cup being the only trophy they won in six years, Shikabala was consistently praised for his eye-catching displays.
He has notably improved since coach Hossam Hassan took over at Zamalek last year, scoring seven goals and dishing out numerous assists for his teammates as his side finished runners-up to Egyptian Premier League champions Ahly.
