Egypt took Africa’s top spot for foreign football player transfers during 2019, spending a total of $33.7m of the $40.8m total transfers across Africa, according to FIFA’s annual worldwide player transfers report.
The report noted that Egypt ranked 24th in the world in terms of contracting players from abroad, and the 39th in terms of exporting players, worth $17.5m, to other countries.
In 2018, the total amount spent by Egyptian clubs to sign players from abroad was $35.2m, compared to the $20.5m that was gained from exporting players.
The 2018/2019 season was unprecedented for Egypt in terms of spending, after Turki Al Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Entertainment (GEA), invested $5m in Pyramids FC.
Al-Sheikh pumped €52.22m into the club, according to the Transfermarkt website, and sold players worth €11.02m. In the previous year, Pyramids FC, previously Al Assiouty, spent only €38,000 and sold players for €755,000.
According to Transfermarkt, Egyptian clubs bought players worth €68.9m and sold players for €37.8m in the 2018/2019 season. The value fell in 2019/2020 to €13.6m on buying players and €4.6m on selling others.
The Egyptian football scene lacks an obvious pattern in terms of expenditures on players, with Al Ahly SC spending €9.45m to sign players in the 2018/2019 after spending only €5.45m in the previous season, and selling players for €8m.
Zamalek, meanwhile, spent €6.08m to include players whilst making €2.38m through player sales. In the following year, the club made profits after selling players for a total cost of €5.88m and bought players for €4.69m.
Misr Lel Makkasa SC was the most consistent, where it spent €350,000 on signing new players in the 2018/2019 season, against €1.25m in sales. In the following season, it sold players for a total of €6.28m, making profits after spending only €775,000 on new signings.
