The new West Bromwich Albion arrival is hugely familiar with one of his team-mates.
New West Bromwich Albion signing Ali Gabr has revealed that he feels very comfortable playing alongside Ahmed Hegazi.
After much speculation, West Brom yesterday secured a deal to bring Gabr to The Hawthorns, with the defender initially joining on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
Gabr could play alongside Hegazi for West Brom and the pair are hugely familiar with eachother given that they both play for the Egypt national team and were previously team-mates at Ismaily.
Gabr told the club’s official website: ‘I spoke to Ahmed a lot before I came over. We were in constant contact.
“We’ve known each other for a long time and have played with each other for a long time – even when we were much younger.
“I feel very comfortable playing alongside him because of our experience together with the national team.”
If Jonny Evans, who has been heavily linked with a move away from West Brom, departs in the closing stages of the transfer window, then there is a good chance that Gabr and Hegazi could become the first-choice central-defensive pairing for Alan Pardew’s side.
Gabr will relish the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League and he will be seeking to follow the example set by Hegazi, who has emerged with much credit for his displays so far.
There is still much work for West Brom to do in order to preserve their top flight status, with the club currently in 19th place in the Premier League, but the arrival of Gabr should help them to become more resilient defensively.
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