Chairman of Al Ahli football club, Abdullah Saeed Al Naboudah, has revealed the UAE Pro-League club tried to sign Aston Villa new boy Karim El Ahmadi following his loan spell in 2010.
Villa announced the signing of El Ahmadi from Dutch club Feyenoord on Monday; the midfielder becomes manager Paul Lambert’s first signing since his appointment in June.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a successful loan spell in the UAE for Al Ahli, despite the club going through a bit of a rough patch at the time.
And Al Naboudah has confirmed The Red Knights were keen to sign El Ahmadi after he completed his loan, but the two clubs failed to reach an agreement.
“He is a good player with a very good mentality,” Al Naboudah told Sport360.
“We had him on loan and couldn’t agree a transfer fee last summer. I wish him all the best (at Aston Villa).”
El Ahmadi believes his strength is that he “always wants to have the ball, that is my main quality. I always want the ball and to dictate the game,” but attempting to do just that in the Premier League is by no means easy. Just ask Juan Sebastian Veron.
When asked whether he believes El Ahmadi will be a success in England, Al Naboudah replied: “It will take him some time to be a starter as the speed of the game and the intensity is much higher in England.”
But the Al Ahli chairman added that he rates El Ahmadi as a “very good player.”
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