Bruce's bid for winger refused.

Byline: JAMES HUNTER

ENNPI have rejected a bid from Sunderland for pounds 1.7m-rated winger Ahmed Al Muhammadi, according to reports in Egypt.

The Black Cats were interested in taking the 21-year-old on loan for the season to allow Steve Bruce to see him at close quarters before making up his mind whether to bring Al Muhammadi to Wearside on a permanent basis.

But Egyptian side ENNPI say they are not interested in letting Al Muhammadi join Sunderland on loan, insisting that he is a 'high calibre' player with 'nothing to prove'.

A statement on ENNPI's official website suggested that Bruce was cautious about taking Al Muhammadi after his experience with Egyptian striker Amr Zaki last season.

While in charge at Wigan last summer, Bruce signed Zaki on a year-long loan but frequently expressed his anger at the player for his unprofessional behaviour, which included returning late from international duty.

The statement said: "Apparently Steve Bruce is affected by his unpleasant experience with Amr Zaki, and that's why he was hesitating to complete the Al Muhammadi deal."

ENNPI are now ready to wait until the January transfer window to see what interest there is in Al Muhammadi.

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