Fathi still on trial with Arsenal, says agent
|Ahmed Fathi is still on trial with Arsenal and didn’t take part in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Boreham Wood because the Egyptian is in the UK on a short stay visa.
The 29-year-old, who was voted the 2013 Africa-based Player of the Year, has won over 100 caps for his country, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is understood to have been a long-term admirer having first tried to sign him some nine years ago.
At that time Fathi did not qualify for a work permit and he has since gone onto play for the likes of Sheffield United and Hull City, now rejecting big-money moves to the Middle East to undergo a trial at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground.
Fathi’s agent told Gooner Talk that the Ah Ahly defender wasn’t involved against Boreham Wood yesterday as his UK short stay visa doesn’t allow him to play in front of a paying crowd.
An African Champions League winner and 3-time Africa Cup of Nation champion, Fathi remains one of Egypt’s most successful and talented footballers.
Gunners boss Wenger sees the versatile defender as potential back-up for Mathieu Debuchy while he could also challenge Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta for the defensive midfield spot.
Not sure about him being a 3- time African Cup of Nations champion, though. That tournament is played very two years and not sure Egypt has won it thrice in the last decade.
@GoonerEris: Egypt won the African Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Oops! Sorry. Turns out you are right about Egypt and Fathi being a 3 – time winner of AFCON. My bad.
Wenger !! Not again !! Are we back on this shit again? Stop chasing trialist nd complete ur transfer window fast so they can have time to gel, b4 work begins…… You can sign him after we’ve gotten the real deals…. i.e A centre 4wd ( Martinez or Benzema) A goalkeeper (Ospina or Ochoa) A Midfield Defensive powerhouse ( Morgan or Gustavo) not khediera or bender cos’ the former is a box to box player nd we’ve got that in ramsey while the later is injury prone & we don’t want another diaby…… Then also get another rb (backup) and 2 CB’s …. Loan jeckinson, sell monreal (he’s no competition for Gibbs)…. Get another LB or let the verminator battle it out with gibbs.. ……. A formation like this means we’re ready for the Season…
Szczesny/ Ospina
Merterscienly
Debuchy Gibbs
Rambo Morgan
Theo Ozil Alexis
Martinez
This a squad we all bet on ,to bring the EPL back to North London !