Al Ahly head coach Hussein Amouta has started shaping the club’s plan for the upcoming January transfer window, identifying the positions that need strengthening as injuries and a busy run of matches put more pressure on his squad.

Al Ahly’s winter plans are not only about bringing in new players. The club is also dealing with the futures of several current players, with contract renewal talks still open and some key members of the squad attracting interest from abroad.

Defense First

Amouta has placed the defense at the top of his priorities. The Moroccan coach wants at least one new center-back and could push for two defensive signings if the right options become available in January.

The request comes after injuries reduced his defensive choices. Amr El Gazzar suffered an ACL injury, while Yasser Ibrahim has also been dealing with an ankle problem, increasing the need for more depth at the back.

Amouta has also asked for a defensive midfielder who can play as a No. 6, mainly because of the heavy workload on Marwan Attia for both Al Ahly and the Egypt national team.

The coaching staff believes the team needs a strong alternative to Attia to avoid depending on one player throughout a long and demanding season.

Al Ahly’s scouting department has already started following several players in the Egyptian league. The club is also studying Egyptian players with dual nationality who are currently playing in European leagues as it searches for suitable options.

At the same time, Mohamed Hany’s future remains another important issue. The right-back has received interest from abroad, including an approach from a Turkish club, while negotiations over a new Al Ahly contract have yet to reach a final agreement.

Some financial details and the participation clause in the proposed contract remain part of the discussions. Hany has decided to delay any decision over outside offers while focusing on the team and waiting to see how talks with Al Ahly develop after his return from international duty.

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Yasser Ibrahim’s contract situation is also still open. Negotiations became more complicated after the defender reportedly asked for additional compensation following his earlier decision to turn down an offer from Saudi club Al Shabab in response to Al Ahly’s desire to keep him.

October Test

Away from the transfer market, Amouta is preparing his squad for a demanding schedule in October, with the coaching staff using the international break to improve the players’ physical and technical condition.

Al Ahly have been training twice a day and scheduled two friendly matches as part of their preparations. They face Libya’s Al Ittihad Misrata on September 28 before meeting Misr El Makkasa on October 2.

The preparation schedule was adjusted after Al Ahly’s League Cup match against Petrol Assiut was moved forward to October 7 instead of October 8, making it an important final test before the Cairo derby.

Al Ahly will then face Zamalek at Cairo International Stadium on October 11 at 8:00 p.m. in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League, with Amouta aiming to have his squad in the best possible condition for the match.

Attention will then turn to continental competition. Al Ahly are scheduled to visit Uganda’s Kitara on October 17 in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup round of 32, with the return match taking place in Cairo on October 25.

With domestic and African matches coming quickly, Amouta’s desire to add more depth is clear, particularly in defense and defensive midfield. The final January transfer decisions will depend on the players monitored by the scouting department as well as developments in contract negotiations with the current squad.

Al Ahly therefore enter an important period with several files open at the same time: preparing for the Zamalek derby and their African campaign, dealing with injuries, deciding the futures of key players and identifying the January signings that can give Amouta more options for the second half of the season.