Emam Ashour is back on the radar of Turkish clubs. Media figure Ahmed Shobier has revealed Konyaspor's determination to land the Al-Ahly midfielder, even as the Egyptian side insist no official bid has reached them.
According to Shobier, Konyaspor have pushed their offer for Ashour up to 4 million and 250 thousand dollars, having tabled lower bids earlier in the summer window.
Speaking on his radio programme, Shobier said Al-Ahly maintain they have received no official offer from the Turkish club. The Red Castle's board believe someone is trying to manufacture a crisis around the player and unsettle the team.
Konyaspor tell a different story. Shobier relayed comments from one of the club's board members, who insisted they had indeed raised their offer to 4 million and 250 thousand dollars, and urged Al-Ahly to check their official email to confirm it had landed.
That bid, the Konyaspor official added through Shobier, is their final one to get the Ashour deal over the line, and the club are desperate to complete the signing.
"A better celebration than Mohamed Salah"
The Turkish club didn't stop at declaring their intent. Their board member fired off a striking message, confirming Konyaspor want to welcome the player and celebrate him "in a better way than what happened with Mohamed Salah" after the Egyptian star's switch to Trabzonspor.
Salah's move to Trabzonspor sparked huge excitement across Turkey, greeted by a wide public reception and celebration. That backdrop makes Konyaspor's promise of an even bigger party for Ashour all the more eye-catching.
Shobier also noted that the Turkish club are tracking Ashour's every move while Al-Ahly train at their camp in Spain. He touched on their intelligence about the player's stance on Gulf offers too, confirming the midfielder has no desire to head there.
Al-Ahly holds on to its stars
Al-Ahly's stance, by contrast, looks clear on losing their key men this window. Shobier confirmed the club have no wish to part with any of their important figures this season, barring a huge offer that is difficult to turn down.
Alongside Ashour, Shobier listed Mostafa Shobier, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany and Marwan Attia among the players Al-Ahly are determined to keep.