In-form Zaki is hot property

Amr Zaki is undoubtedly the find of the season in the Premier League, but Wigan boss Steve Bruce will need all his powers of persuasion to keep hold of the 25-year-old Egyptian.

The powerful striker has blasted seven goals in eight Premier League games and leads the scoring charts after his double against Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend and at soccer odds of 15.5 – Zaki could be a shrewd bet to win the golden boot.

Zaki, who has been likened to Alan Shearer, was once again at his best as he crashed home an acrobatic overhead kick at Anfield – a goal which has made Liverpool chief Rafa Benitez take note.

Zaki’s brace wasn’t enough at Anfield as Wigan lost 3-2, but the on-loan star is now firmly on Benitez’s radar.

“Everybody will be checking his situation now,” Benitez said.

But Wigan will fight tooth and nail to keep the striker, who was signed on a loan basis from El Zamalek for one year in July 2008.
Bruce insists his club have first refusal on Zaki.

Zamalek, however, have recently said that they will sell Zaki to whichever club they want and Manchester City are already believed to have made contact through their new Abu Dhabi-based owners.

“We will have the right to sell Zaki to any club,” said Zamalek president Mamdouh Abbas.

The Egyptian club will be keen to sell Zaki to the highest bidder and they have revealed they have arranged talks with City’s owners in a bid to thrash out a deal for the former Lokomotiv Moscow frontman.