AEK has been monitoring 25-year-old Palestinian-Swedish forward Assad Al Hamlaoui for several weeks as a potential option to strengthen their attack. The Universitatea Craiova player, who has three caps for Palestine, is on AEK's transfer list following an excellent season where he was his team's top scorer and contributed to them winning the double. AEK is willing to offer up to 1.6 million euros for Al Hamlaoui, who Craiova signed from Slask Wroclaw for about one million euros in 2025, but this amount does not meet the Romanian club's demands. Al Hamlaoui is not necessarily intended for a starting role, as AEK continues to rely on Luka Jovic, and the forward would be an additional roster option if the deal progresses. His contract with Craiova expires in June 2028. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is €1.40m.