Tony Pulis: West Brom got the 'perfect deal' for Ahmed Hegazi

The 26-year-old defender flew into Hong Kong last night after joining the Baggies on a season-long loan from Egyptian champions Al Ahly.

That loan has cost the Baggies just £875,000, and written into the deal is an option to buy Hegazi for £3.5million by the end of next June.

"It's a magnificent deal for us as a football club and it gives us the opportunity to see if he can adapt to the Premier League," said Pulis.

"We have got it all tied in with the club that if we like him, we can take him.

"We didn't want to take the chance of signing him on a permanent deal because you just don't know the character and the understanding of English football and English tradition and the English values of life.

"So I think we've got the perfect deal and you don't get them too often."

Pulis prefers to sign players with Premier League experience if possible, and Hegazi is only the second Albion signing he's made, after Salomon Rondon, from a non-English club.

But inflated fees for players based in England have encouraged him to widen the net with the low-risk loan of Hegazi.

The Baggies have been keeping tabs on the defender since the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, when the former Fiorentina defender was named in the team of the tournament.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on the lad,” said Pulis. “We've been looking at him for a long time and we've managed to get the deal we wanted."

Hegazi took part in his first Albion training session in the Hong Kong monsoon this morning.

The club are trying to gain international clearance for him to make his debut tomorrow alongside new captain Jonny Evans at the heart of defence when the Baggies play Leicester City in the Premier League Asia Trophy.

Hegazi is Albion’s third signing of the summer after Jay Rodriguez joined from Southampton in a deal totalling £15m and Zhang Yuning signed on a three-year deal before being loaned out for two years to Werder Bremen.

Pulis played Rodriguez in the number 10 role behind Salomon Rondon on his debut against Slavia Prague last week, and the Baggies boss is hoping the England international can rediscover his goal-scoring form that yielded 17 goals in the 2013/14 season for Saints.

“Up until he got his injury, Jay was playing for England,” said Pulis. “You're looking at an extraordinary talent when he was at Southampton.

"I've spoken to a lot of people who have worked with him and, apart from those ravenous injuries, everyone will tell you he's a fantastic character. He works hard and his goal scoring speaks for itself.”