File Photo: Ahly's Palestinian forward #9 Wessam Abou Ali is marked by Pachuca's Mexican goalkeeper #25 Carlos Moreno during the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup football match between Mexico's Pachuca and Egypt's Al-Ahly at Stadium 974 in Doha. AFP
"Ahly have agreed to sell Wessam Abou Ali to American team, Colombus Crew, after intense negociations over the past period," the Cairo giants said in a short statement without giving further details.
After protracted negotiations, Ahly agreed to sell the 26-year-old striker to the American side, ending a tense standoff between the player and the club.
Colombus Crew announced the signing of Abou Ali "for an undisclosed fee" on a two-year deal until 2027 with a club option for 2028.
Reports suggest the deal is worth $7.5 million, with an additional $1 million in bonuses and a 10% sell-on clause.
Abou Ali concluded his stint with Ahly at the FIFA Club World Cup, where he scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-4 draw against FC Porto.
Following the tournament, the forward expressed his desire to leave the Reds, urging management to accept his departure.
The player was reportedly linked with several Gulf clubs, including Qatar’s Al-Rayyan and UAE’s Al-Wasl, as well as U.S. MLS sides New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew.
Ahly initially set a $10 million price tag for Abou Ali and repeatedly stated that the striker was not for sale.
However, tensions escalated when the player skipped training citing injury and subsequently faced financial sanctions for missing pre-season preparations.
Thereafter, the Palestinian striker was left out of the squad traveling to Tunisia for a pre-season camp ahead of the new season.
The situation sparked a wave of fan backlash on social media criticizing the player’s conduct.
In an unusual intervention, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) issued a statement urging Ahly to protect Abou Ali and facilitate the transfer in line with his wishes.
Later on the player issued an apology statement that was published on Ahly's social media accounts for his misconduct.
Since joining Ahly in January 2024, Abou Ali had quickly established himself as a prolific striker, netting 18 goals in 19 appearances during half a season to claim the Egyptian Premier League Golden Boot in his debut campaign.
Although injuries hampered his latest season, he netted 10 goals in 16 league matches, finishing second in Ahly’s scoring charts behind Emam Ashour.
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