Few transfers to have taken place during the summer window will have split opinion quite like Percy Tau’s move to Al Ahly from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The deal was confirmed earlier this week, as the Bafana Bafana star ended his unfulfilling stay in English football by signing for the Cairo giants.
On one hand, the appeal for Tau is clear to see.
He’s moving to a massive club, will have the opportunity of representing Africa’s biggest team, and will also be reunited with former mentor Pitso Mosimane.
The pair enjoyed great success together at Mamelodi Sundowns, with the head coach leaning heavily on Tau as the Brazilians won the Caf Champions League title in 2016.
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It was the victory that set Mosimane on his way to becoming the finest African coach of his generation, whereas Tau’s performances in that Sundowns team ultimately saw him making the move to European football.
It’s understandable that the forward would want the chance of a fresh start, and a reunion with Jingles represents a safe move.
However, surely the switch represents a massive lack of ambition on the part of Tau, who, at 27, still should have a lot to offer European football.
Despite only talking, weeks ago, about his desire to make an impact and prove himself in the Premier League, we’ll now never know if Tau could have cut it in the top flight.
It’s such a shame, that arguably the finest Bafana Bafana player of his generation opted out of trying to prove himself with Brighton, having waited so long—all of those work permit problems, all of those loan deals—to actually get his chance with the Seagulls.
Since leaving Sundowns for Brighton in 2018, Tau featured for Union Saint-Gilloise, Club Brugge and Anderlecht before actually making his league bow for the south-coast club earlier this year after his temporary stay with the Purple & White was curtailed.
Head coach Graham Potter opted only to use the forward sparingly, and after a smattering of appearances, he was wholly absent during the run-in as Brighton retained their Prem status.
Ultimately, perhaps the writing was already on the wall then; that the wideman had not convinced Potter of his worth and would not be in the coach’s plans moving forward.
Either way, his underwhelming stay with Brighton is now at an end, although Tau may regret opting to take the easier option and sign for Ahly, rather than attempt to try and carve out a future for himself in Europe.