Middlesbrough are said to be one of a number of teams who are monitoring the situation of Al Ittihad defender Ahmed Hegazi.
TEAMtalk claim that Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Sheffield United and Burnley are all interested in the ex-West Bromwich Albion centre-back, with the 32-year-old currently out of favour at the Saudi Pro League club.
Making 80 appearances and scoring 10 goals for Al Ittihad since moving there in 2020, the 6ft 4in Egyptian finds himself something of an outcast this season having not made the squad for the current campaign.
The Al Ittihad side has seen an influx of illustrious signings such is the popularity of the Saudi League and all that comes with it. Players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Fabinho have all joined the side nicknamed ‘The People’s Club’.
Experience in England
English football fans may remember seeing Ahmed Hegazi in The Premier League and The Championship from his time at West Brom. Making the loan deal a permanent one in 2018, his signing-which was rumoured to be for around £4 million-was seen as a significant acquisition. West Brom’s then manager Alan Pardew was keen to build his side around the defender, with the club securing his services with the offer of an eye-watering 75k-a-week salary package according to a report in The Mirror.
He was allowed to leave the midlands side for the Saudi outfit just 2 years later in 2020 in spite of manager Slaven Bilic’s obvious reservations at the time. Bilic made clear his disappointment as he saw the centre-back as part of his plans, and even though they had just been promoted back into the Premier League, the Baggies were keen to recoup some of their losses from their previous stint in the top flight and relieve the club of a player on a substantial wage.
The move seemed to be orchestrated and sanctioned by the club and although the player initially appeared happy to stay in England, it is likely that he will have been offered a healthy sum to continue his career in The Saudi Pro League.
Boro in the market for a defender
It is no secret that Middlesbrough are likely to be in the market for players in January. Head of Football Kieran Scott said Boro are ‘ready to go’ with their January transfer plan, that will surely include the signing of a defender of some sort.
They have endured some torrid luck with injuries this season and currently have experienced duo Darragh Lenihan (centre-back) and Tommy Smith (right-back) sidelined for long periods, with defenders Dael Fry (centre-back) and Lukas Engel (left-back) also now on the treatment table.
It leaves Boro with only Paddy McNair and Rav van den Berg as fully fit centre-backs, with back-up centre-back, Matt Clarke just returning from a year-long lay-off. Boro’s recruitment model of signing young, hungry players with a point to prove may have to be slightly adjusted to address the fact that they have a number of senior leaders missing.
Smith and Lenihan in particular are seen as leaders on the pitch, and although Lewis O’Brien is a loan player, he is another who is seen as an experienced head within the group. The addition of someone like Hegazi could prove a shrewd move as he is a player with nearly 300 senior appearances and over a hundred games in English football.
It is unclear as to whether the deal is seen as a makeshift loan or a permanent move at this stage. That said, Middlesbrough certainly would not be matching the weekly wage that he enjoyed at Al Ittihad and West Brom.