A football chief in England has defended the decision from one of the biggest teams in Africa to not sign a former Liverpool player.
Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek were understood to be considering signing former Reds talent Ovie Ejaria.
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The midfielder was on trial at the White Knights last week, but failed to impress the club, with the deal ultimately falling through.
Ejaria is also believed to have undergone trials at Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle, where he was also unable to make a lasting impression.
Speaking about the move to Egypt that failed to materialise, head of football operations at EFL League One side Reading, Mark Bowen, gave his verdict on Zamalek's decision.
"Do I think Zamalek made the right decision regarding Ovie Ejaria? Absolutely," the former Southampton assistant manager said during an interview with Al Hayat, per KingFut.
"The player hasn't competed in professional matches for about two years, and the club was right to evaluate him carefully, especially since he had a significant knee injury.
"Even if the club had decided to sign him, I would have advised them to offer a contract tied to his performance, linking his compensation to the number of games and minutes he plays.
"It's a risky situation, signing a player who hasn't played competitively in two years."
Ejaria left the Reds to join Reading in August 2020, and went on to make 127 appearances for the English outfit, but the 26-year-old's career has since come to a standstill, with his last professional appearance coming in 2022.
The player has also been without a club since December last year.
"I believe the surgery he underwent was the main reason for his absence, it was a complicated operation on his knee," Bowen continued.
"Time will tell whether his injury is chronic or not.
"I was head of football operations at Reading, and in his final years, Ovie wasn't happy.
"He felt he needed to play at a higher level. He met with me and requested to leave the club.
"He may have had other demands, but Reading's Chinese owners at the time were facing financial challenges.
"When Ovie was playing regularly, he was arguably one of the best players in the Championship."
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