Barcelona sell winger Ez Abde to Real Betis
The departure of Ez Abde to Betis was finalized on a very intense last day of the transfer market. Uncertainty surrounded the deal because Barcelona only wanted to sell the player, not loan him, and Betis had to find a way to fit the operation within their financial fair play constraints.
The player, aware of his lack of minutes at Barcelona, expressed his desire to leave a few days ago and chose Betis, although Sevilla, Osasuna (where he played on loan last season), and Atlético Madrid also monitored his situation. Atlético Madrid inquired at the last minute about his signing to replace Yannick Carrasco, who moved to Saudi Arabia. However, Barcelona made it clear that there wouldn't be a last-minute deal, and it was either Betis or staying under Xavi Hernández's command, which the player accepted.
Abde spent much of the day in a hotel with his agent, Javier Garrido, and close circle, waiting for all the necessary operations to be resolved so that Betis could sign him.
In the event that Betis sells the winger in the coming years, Barcelona would receive 50% of the future transfer fee, so they are hoping the player's value will increase significantly at Betis.
Betis wanted him badly but needed to comply with financial fair play regulations and not exceed the salary cap. The sale of midfielder Paul Akouokou to Olympique de Lyon for four million euros for half of his transfer rights and the backing of Betis' president, Ángel Haro, were crucial in this regard. There was also attention on the transfer of Luiz Felipe to the Arabian club Al-Ittihad, but time constraints and payment guarantees prevented the deal from being completed before the announcement.
Three hours before the market closed, LaLiga admitted that the operation was very advanced, although confirmation still had to wait.
Ez Abde's transfer was the final sale for a team that also saw Dembélé, Kessié, and Nico González transferred, while loans for Julián Araujo, Dest, Lenglet, Ansu Fati, Eric, Busquets, Jordi Alba, Umtiti, and Collado were completed.
Abde Ezzalzouli joined Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after the club paid Hercules a €2 million release clause. Last season, he was loaned to Osasuna with very positive results. In the Barcelona first team, the Moroccan winger played 14 games and scored a goal, precisely against Osasuna at El Sadar two seasons ago. Abde now joins Betis under the guidance of Ramon Planes, the executive who discovered him for Barcelona.
