Ahly's new signing, German-Brazilian midfielder Hendrik Helmke, has expressed his delight at joining the Cairo giants, saying he hopes to achieve success with his new club.

On Friday, Ahly announced the signing of Hendrik for a period of three-and-a-half years.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Germany and is of Brazilian descent, joined the reigning Egyptian champions on a free transfer after his contract with Norwegian side Tromso expired.

"I am very happy to join the biggest club in Africa, and also with the warm welcome I received from Portuguese coach Juan Carlos Garrido," Hendrik, who appeared at the Reds training session on Saturday morning, told reporters.

"I wish success for this new stage in my football career.

"I don't know a lot about Egyptian football as I heard only about Hany Ramzy and Mohamed Zidan who played before in Germany," he added.

Helmke is the second foreigner to join Ahly in the January transfer window, after Nigerian forward Peter Ebimobowei.

Ahly are seeking to bolster their squad after a disappointing first half of the season that saw them fall eight points behind league leaders and arch-rivals Zamalek, who played one game more.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)