Barcelona winger Abde's stock to continues to rise after brace for Osasuna

Abde's season with Osasuna has been one to remember. The Moroccan winger is playing an essential role in Jagoba Arrasate's plans, allowing the Pamplona outfit to reach the Copa del Rey final for the second time in their history. In LaLiga, safety is practically a reality and the dream of reaching the European positions is not so far away.

Saturday's 2-1 win over Elche -- with a comeback included -- has a name and a surname: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli. The player on loan from FC Barcelona scored the two goals that allowed Osasuna to take the three points at El Sadar; both in the final stretch of the game: 71st and 84th minute.

"The coach always tells me that I have to play in the second line, without staying back. I listened to him and got the goal," explained Abde to DAZN when asked about the first goal. "The second was... I don't think I'm going to do it again. It was a great goal, but I'm sure there'll be more to come," he added, laughing and with his characteristic self-confidence about the winning goal.

This season he has already scored five goals in 26 games -- one in the first leg of the Copa semi-final against Athletic, essential to reaching the final -- and has provided two assists. In fact, he has only missed six games: four through injury, one through suspension and one in which he was not called up. These numbers, let's not forget, earned him a place in Morocco's squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

FUTURE

There will be no shortage of offers for next season. However, Abde's priority is to return to Barça and succeed there. The technical secretary is also clear that he will return in the summer and, at the very least, will spend the pre-season with the first team. Depending on the economic and sporting needs of the Catalan club, the Moroccan's future will either be at Spotify Camp Nou or away from the Catalan capital.

It is worth remembering that the forward landed in Barcelona, coming from Hercules, in the summer of 2021, in exchange for his termination clause: two million euros. For this reason, Barça could obtain a very important economic benefit, even more so, taking into account the money that is handled in the Premier League, where his profile would fit like a glove.

Everything will depend, in part, on the future of players like Dembélé, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati and Raphinha at Barça. The departure of one of them -- or several of them -- would open the door for him to stay at Barça next season. It is still too early to make a decision, but in the offices of Aristides Maillol they are aware that Abde's stock is rising. In a few months, we will have the resolution of the case.