The allegations that surrounded Emad Meteb's move to Standard Liege barely indicate the Egypt striker was involved in Ahli's attempt to halt his deal with the Belgian side, thanks to the professional way he dealt with the media. Over the past six months Ahli sought intensively, yet in vain to coax Meteb into signing a new deal at the Cairo side. The 27-year-old, whose contract with the Red Devils ran out this summer, made no secret of his desire to play European football, stressing more than once that he would part ways with Ahli in the off-season. He first revealed his plan to end his lengthy spell at his boyhood club back in February, when he referred to 'many offers' he had received from European outfits. "I explained why I don't want to renew my contract with Ahli," Meteb said. "Everyone understands why I'm keen to depart." Shortly after Meteb had penned a pre-contract with Standard, Ahli marketing director Adli Al-Qaeyi stated that the prolific hitman was longing to rejoin the six-time African champions. Indeed, Meteb was widely believed to be willing to terminate his deal with Standard at the time in order to return to Ahli for a higher bid. However, the international ace's statements regarding his future have not changed a bit since last winter. After the widespread claims about his recent negotiations with Ahli, Meteb said: "I have an agreement with Standard and I must fulfill it. "I don't know why it has been rumored that I will back out of the deal and rejoin Ahli." But Ahli remained hopeful of bringing their former prodigy back into their ranks.
Ahli transfer guru Al-Qaeyi They kept trying to entice him to make a U-turn and also searched for legal avenues to rescind his contract with Standard. Failed Plot This month, the Egyptian champions increased their bid for Meteb to EGP 11 million in a fresh endeavor to see him change his mind. The new offer was soon followed by a 'setback' that drew the transfer saga out and stirred more controversy. Meteb's deal with Standard suddenly seemed to be too close to collapsing when problems related to his compulsory military service came out of the blue. "Meteb and I were about to make the flight to Belgium, but we were surprised to learn that he is denied from travelling," Shawki told FilGoal.com on July 20th. "They say he is due to turn up for military duty in February. "I can't deny that this problem could have an effect on Meteb's move to Belgium." Expectedly, Ahli decided to strike while the iron was hot. "I know about the problem, but we will have to react quickly as the registration window closes on Thursday," Ahli vice-chairman Mahmoud Al-Khatib told Nile Sport TV on the same day. "I told Meteb before that his place with Ahli is reserved in case he decided to stay in Egypt. The board will discuss the matter soon."
Meteb was unveiled by Standard on Monday But ultimately, the military dilemma turned out to be a failed plot to find an excuse for Meteb to revoke his contract with Standard and get back to Ahli. In an official declaration, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense categorically denied that Meteb was not authorized to fly to Belgium as baselessly alleged. "Those reports are totally untrue. The player Emad Meteb was given permission to travel abroad on July 12," the ministry announced. Immune from Accusations Later on, Pundits came down hard on Ahli for acknowledging Meteb's bogus hindrance. Shawki also had a share of criticism for supposedly helping Ahli make up the story by confirming that his client had been prohibited from leaving the country. Many critics are convinced that Meteb was a third party in the infamous sham, nonetheless; he was immune from being accused of a lack of commitment. He remained completely tight-lipped when the allegations of his complicated military status first surfaced. After the Egyptian Ministry of Defense refuted the claims, he denied facing any difficulties while issuing a travel clearance. Meteb's latest statements made agent Shawki come across as a liar but smartly kept the player's image untarnished. "I don't know the source of that rumor about my military status," he told Egyptian TV. "It's completely false and I just ignored it." "I've already completed my move to Standard Liege."
