The Mahmoud Wadi transfer saga hit new levels of interest this week with clubs and astronomical figures being suggested for the services of the Palestinian striker.
Fans of Al-Masry breathed a sigh of relief this month as a run of four wins and one loss over the last five games saw the Port Said based club avoid relegation with three games to spare.
Following the 2-1 win over Ittihad Alexandria, Wadi was asked about the persistent transfer rumors:
On his time with Al-Masry, Wadi expressed his gratitude to the club, “Of course I am going to miss Al-Masry. The clubs means a lot to me. I came from the Jordanian league and if I went anywhere else I don’t think I would reached this level. I want to thank everyone at the club for a fantastic time here- especially the fans who always supported me. It was not an easy decision to make but a step- I spent two very important years of my life here but I have to leave I want to test myself at the highest levels.”
This season has been an incredibly tumultuous one on the banks of the Suez. Ehab Galal was fired in February after a string of poor displays in the league and shortly after that the Coronavirus pandemic brought the league to a halt.
In Mahmoud Wadi’s first season the club advanced to the semifinals of the CAF Confederations Cup and established themselves as the best of the rest in the league finishing behind traditional powerhouses Al-Ahly and Zamalek and the well financed Pyramids FC.
It has been very different this season as Al-Masry struggled to replace Mohammed Saleh in defence, Farid Shawky in midfield, and Islam Issa in attack.
The latter in particular helped Wadi shoulder the load in attack and was join scorer along with the Palestinian in the league on seven goals.
While much has been made of Wadi’s goal scoring numbers in the league he has notched more goals this season across all competitions (10) than he did last season (9).
Furthermore he has played an important role in chance creation for Al-Masry assisting 8 goals- the second most in the league after 32 match days.
The Gazan’s goals and assists account for a whopping 38% of the team’s goals in the league and played a direct role in saving the club from the drop. That type of offensive output could result in even more goals and assists in a more talented, attacking oriented team.
While it has been widely rumored that Pyramids FC is the striker’s next destination. Wadi stopped short of confirming it in yesterday’s post match interview.
“The idea of going to Pyramids is a great idea. When you play in a club like that you have to give your all to produce the best results consistently. If God willing I end up there I hope to achieve accolades on the team and individual level.”
Earlier in the season, Wadi’s agent Osayd Khader had announced that his client would be leaving the Egyptian league and that certain facets in his contract made it easier for him to move abroad.
Several media agencies have reported that Pyramids FC have sealed the deal for £20 Million ($1.3M). If true it would mean the biggest spenders in the league have received a discount of £30 Million pounds to secure Wadi’s services. Khader had previously stated that the buyout clause in Wadi’s contract is £50 Million ($3.2M) for any domestic offers and $2 Million for offers from abroad.
If Wadi does join Pyramids FC he will be the latest in a series of high profile signings this year including former Al-Ahly trio Sherif Ekramy, Ahmed Fathi, and Ramadan Sobhi.
