Al Ahly Club has entered into a fierce competition with their counterpart Pyramids to sign Hadi Riyad, the defender of Petrojet team, during the current winter transfer window, as both clubs seek to strengthen their defense ahead of the second half of the season.

Mohamed Salama, the player's agent, confirmed in statements to the "247" platform that Al Ahly recently contacted them to sign Hadi Riyad. He also pointed out that Pyramids has officially expressed interest in acquiring the defender, with the player's final destination expected to be decided within the coming hours.

Al Ahly is taking steps to strengthen its defense in January, due to Danish coach Jes Thorup's dissatisfaction with the performance of the duo Ahmed Ramadan Beckham and Mostafa Al-Ash, as well as Moroccan Ashraf Dari's recurring injury problems, which has prompted the management to look for ready alternatives.

Press reports indicated that Al-Ahly's management is considering several defensive options in negotiations, most notably Mahmoud El-Gazar from Bank Al-Ahly, Ahmed Tarek, a defender from ZED, as well as Hadi Riyad, as part of a comprehensive plan to strengthen the team's squad during the current winter transfer window.