Huddersfield Town have completed the signing of Ramadan Sobhi from Stoke City for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be £5.7m. The Egyptian international winger has been linked with Town for weeks now, so it isn’t a huge surprise that he’s committed his future to the Terriers.
The deal won’t complete until the end of the World Cup, which means Stoke can trouser the FIFA compensation money for him and Town can (presumably) pull the plug on the deal if he picks up a nasty injury.
Who is Ramadan Sobhi?
Despite looking a good deal older, Sobhi is just 21 years old and is relatively inexperienced. He started his career playing for El Ahly Cairo in the Egyptian Premier League, where he earned the reputation of being one of the hottest talents in the country.
Stoke snapped him up a couple of years ago and brought him to the Premier League. He’s had a tough time in the potteries, failing to establish himself as a regular and getting some grief from fans for sub-par performances. In his defense, Stoke were a poor team while Sobhi was there, and Mark Hughes’ negative brand of football isn’t likely to help develop young talent.
Sobhi has already received twenty six caps for the Egyptian national team, which is pretty impressive given his age. He’s likely to feature for them in the upcoming World Cup, where he’ll hopefully learn a few things from his teammate, Mohamed Salah.
The usual warnings apply about not getting carried away, but this highlights video shows how good he was back in his days in the Egyptian league.
David Wagner’s comments on Sobhi’s arrival
Wagner was quick to welcome Sobhi to Huddersfield and seemed to preempt potential criticism of the new boy in his statement. He pointed out how many players have had bad seasons before coming to Town and thriving under his stewardship. He’s got a point too, Depoitre, Lössl, and Kachunga have all done well after arriving at Town with grumbles about their recent form, flourishing once they put on the blue and white stripes.
There were some nice compliments from Sobhi’s new boss about his speed and skill but also a reference to there being room for improvement. I get the impression that Wagner has signed him because of what he could be, rather than the performances he’s currently capable of.
How will Sobhi fit in at Huddersfield Town
Ramadan Sobhi is a right-footed attacking player that likes to play on the left side of the pitch, much like van La Parra. It’s likely he’ll compete for the same spot as VLP, playing as a narrow left winger that cuts inside to make space for the fullback to overlap.
Town need at least a couple of wingers this transfer window to add some creativity in the final third. It’s possible that Sobhi could answer that problem but the transfer fee and his indifferent form for Stoke make me think he may have been brought in to develop and bolster the squad.
My prediction is that Sobhi will most often feature as a substitute in the next season and it’ll be down to him to put the work in required to convince Wagner he’s deserving of a starting place. It’s also likely that we won’t see him in the opening stages of the season, as he’ll start preseason training later than most of the squad because of his World Cup exploits.
TerrierSpirit.com opinion on the Sobhi transfer
This seems like a decent deal for Town. The rumoured fee seems about right for a player that was once a hot prospect, but is now viewed as damaged goods. I expect we’ve got a good deal due to Stoke’s relegation and it seems that David Wagner can see potential in the lad.
I think it’s important to keep expectations in check, and see him as a player with great potential but not the finished product. He might be able to create the odd moment of inspiration but it may be a while before he’s a first choice in the starting XI.
There were times last season when Town seemed lacking in creative options in the final third, so Sobhi’s arrival will hopefully give David Wagner some variety in his choice of attacking players. For that reason, he seems like a sensible acquisition, even if he’s not a big-name signing like Terence Kongolo.
He’s [performed below the level I expected] and has robbed a living at Stoke.
Thanks for your comment. I’ve edited it a bit to make it look less rude, but the message is still the same. Good luck in the Championship next season.
Huddersfield have bought an absolute pup. Would have still been a reserve in Stoke’s Championship team
Thanks for the comment Jay. We’ll have to see how he works out, buy I trust Wagner’s judgement. Some people said Liverpool overpaid for Salah last summer.
Looks like the lad has great potential. He was playing great before moving to Stoke. Wish him all he best and can’t wait to follow him at the World Cup where I think surprise a few people with his skill and passing ability.