EGYPTIAN GIANTS STILL CONSIDER RAMOS SIGNING DESPITE HIGH SALARY DEMANDS

Sergio Ramos won five LaLiga titles and four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid. EPA/Jose Manuel Vidal

Egyptian Premier League giants SC Zamalek have not entirely closed the door to the ambitious signing of World Cup-winning defender Sergio Ramos despite the player's lofty salary expectations, club officials have told ESPN.

Ahmed Shawky, the Egyptian giants' media coordinator, has confirmed that Zamalek have been offered the 38-year-old free agent, but has acknowledged that there are some barriers to getting a deal over the line.

"Some agents and mediators offered the possibility," Shawky told ESPN. "Of course, Sergio Ramos is a fantastic player who won everything with Real Madrid and Spain. "He would be a massive player for any side in the Middle East or Africa."

Reports of a Zamalek move for Ramos, who is a free agent after leaving Sevilla in the summer, were mooted last month, on the eve of Zamalek's CAF Super Cup final victory over fierce Cairo rivals Al-Ahly in Riyadh on September 27.

"There's nothing concrete so far, and the player is highly valued financially," Shawky continued, referring to Ramos's salary expectations. "We also have to bear in mind that Zamalek have also signed other centrebacks recently.

"It would be a massive boost for Egyptian football, [and mean] more prestige for Zamalek and the league [if we can get the deal done]."

The speculation prompted excitement and enthusiasm among the club's fans, even though Hani Shoukry, a member of the Zamalek board of directors, indicated last week that Ramos's financial expectations would prove a stretch for the White Knight.

"There's been talk with Ramos in order for him to join Zamalek, he welcomed the interest and agreed to play in Egypt," Shokry told OnTime Sports. "The difficulty is really in the financial aspects and the amounts requested by the Spanish star. It's the main reason for not completing the deal.

"We've thought about the marketing advantages for the club of the player's name, but the amounts that have been requested are very large and have made things difficult."

Ramos, who made 28 league appearances for Sevilla last term, is one of the most decorated players in the game, having been part of Spain's Golden Generation, winning two European Championships and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012.

He won five Spanish titles and four Champions Leagues during a glittering 16-year spell at Real Madrid, and went on to clinch back-to-back Ligue 1 crowns after joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

While Egypt has often welcomed some of the top stars of the African continent to play in its Premier League, few prominent players have moved to North Africa during their careers. Former France international and Chelsea wideman, Florent Malouda, is one example, having signed briefly for Wadi Degla at the tail end of his career, while his compatriot Anthony Modeste left Ahly in July after one season with the Cairene giants.

- Ed Dove, Special to ESPN