Defender still on the market with the Gunners interested.
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Sporting Lisbon have seen a bid for Egyptian defender Ramy Rabia rejected by Al-Ahly which keeps Arsenal in the race to sign the highly-rated youngster, reports Sky Sports.
21-year-old Rabia may have only performed in the Egyptian league, but he has earned rave reviews and earned nine caps for his country, scoring two goals in the process.
These strong performances have led to interest from around Europe with Sporting going ahead and making a bid of around £500,000 for his services. However, Al-Ahly have rejected the offer, believing that their hottest prospect is worth much more.
Rabia is represented by SEM, their managing director, Craig Honeymoon said: “Sporting Lisbon have made an offer, but Al Ahly have told us this is not enough.
“Talks are continuing, but there is interest from the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe.”
Arsenal are thought to be one of those Premier League sides that are interested in his signature, as are Hull. Both tried to bring Rabia in on trial last year but Al-Ahly were unwilling to let him go out on such a deal.
It is clear that with such widespread interest in their defender, the Egyptian side are trying to spark a bidding war amongst a number of Europe’s top clubs. A fee in seven figures, rather than six, is their aim for the athletic centre-back.