English Premier League
Real Betis reject major late offer for Abde Ezzalzouli as Barcelona miss financial opportunity
Real Betis turned down a “large” offer for Abde Ezzalzouli on the final day of the transfer window because it fell short of the club’s valuation, president Angel Haro has revealed.
The decision means Barcelona will not receive a significant financial return from the proposed transfer. The Catalan club retained about 20% of the Moroccan winger’s economic rights when he left for Real Betis.
Haro said Real Betis had needed to complete a major sale to balance its finances, with the club considering the possibility of several players leaving during the transfer window. However, the Andalusian side ultimately decided that keeping Ezzalzouli was more valuable than accepting the offer on the table.
Speaking at a news conference to assess Real Betis’ transfer activity, Haro said: “We wanted another player to leave, and when players say they do not want to leave, nothing can be done because they have contracts that must be respected.”
He added: “We should have completed a big sale to balance our accounts. We have operating expenses related to the team’s wages, and normal income is not enough to cover them if we want to maintain this squad and avoid simply competing for positions between eighth and 15th.”
The opportunity to raise that money arrived on the final day of the market, when Real Betis received what Haro described as a substantial proposal for Ezzalzouli.
“There was an opportunity to complete a major sale for a player on the final day of the transfer window,” he said.
Despite the financial pressure, Real Betis rejected the offer because it was well below the amount the club wanted for the 24-year-old. That valuation is understood to be close to his €60m release clause.
Haro explained: “We believed that on the final day we had to ask for an amount close to the release clause. The offer did not reach the required figure, so we decided to keep Ezzalzouli in the squad, especially in a season in which we are playing in the Champions League.”
The president acknowledged that the failure to make a major sale may represent a gap in the club’s financial planning, but said the decision could still prove beneficial if Ezzalzouli performs well.
“Perhaps we were missing a departure or a major sale in our planning, but in the end we felt the offer for Ezzalzouli was insufficient. We will see in the future whether the decision was the right one. If the player has a great season, keeping him will have been the correct decision,” he said, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.
Haro did not identify the club that made the late approach. However, previous media reports had suggested the interested side was Everton.
Ezzalzouli is regarded as one of Real Betis’ leading players, and the club’s decision to retain him protects its attacking options ahead of its Champions League campaign. It also removes the immediate possibility of Barcelona receiving a share of any transfer fee.
Under the terms of Barcelona’s retained economic interest, the former club would have been entitled to around one-fifth of the fee offered for Ezzalzouli. Real Betis’ refusal therefore denied Barcelona the chance to secure that income, while confirming the Andalusian side’s preference to keep the Morocco international rather than accept a bid below its expectations.
