Teddy Oko will not move to Zamalek despite a prior agreement between the two parties on all the details. This has raised many questions about the reason for the deal’s failure, despite the player being in Egypt last week and all indications being positive.
The story relayed by Zamalek-affiliated journalists was that John Edouard, the White Knights’ sporting director, was the one who backed out of signing the French player of Ivorian origin, due to his injury record throughout his career.
This story sparked considerable controversy. Examining the player’s injury record reveals that he played every game for his team last season, and that he only suffered a major injury in 2022, from which he recovered and subsequently performed well.
Another story, closer to the rumors, emerged, claiming that Oko and his agent received numerous warnings against a move to Zamalek from player agents and former members of the club’s board of directors. This prompted the agent to demand additional financial and contractual guarantees, which John Edouard refused to meet, and the deal collapsed.
Teddy Ouko’s agent, Marios Habyambere, then made statements revealing the real reason for the deal’s failure.
According to the agent, “financial differences” between him and Zamalek’s management regarding Ouko’s salary and a number of other details were the sole reason for the end of negotiations. He noted that his client is in excellent physical condition and is not suffering from any injuries, as some journalists have attempted to promote.
Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadhiyah revealed that Al-Riyadh Club is close to signing the 27-year-old winger, which explains the collapse of negotiations with Zamalek, given that the Saudi offer is significantly higher financially than the Egyptian offer.
It is worth noting that Zamalek’s current alternative plan is to sign Moroccan Bilal Ould Cheikh, noting that John Edward previously concluded a remarkable deal by signing young Moroccan winger Abdelhamid Maali from Ittihad Tangier for half a million dollars.
