Ahead of the clash between Barcelona and Real Betis last weekend, Hansi Flick did not hide his admiration for Abde Ezzalzouli. Could Barcelona be set to make a move?

Last weekend, Barcelona won comfortably at Real Betis (5-2). Despite another attacking masterclass from the Catalans, Abde Ezzalzouli managed to stand out. Sport says the Moroccan winger was his team’s best player in the game and notably gave Jules Kounde a hard time on his flank.

Hansi Flick a long-time admirer of Abde

The 24-year-old showed explosiveness, power and precision to finish off a Betis counter-attack perfectly. This confirmed Flick’s pre-match comments about the former Barcelona player.

‘What I see from him impresses me. He is a fantastic player, I like the way he plays football, the confidence he has in himself in duels, in that final third of the pitch,’ the German boss had said. The former Bayern Munich boss does not usually lavish praise on players who do not belong to his team.

According to the Catalan daily, these are not empty words from Flick, who has genuinely admired Ez Abde for some time. The winger was notably on Barcelona’s list of targets. Discussions took place, but the Catalan club did not make a move. Could Barcelona be set to make an approach soon?

Barcelona do not need to sign a winger

Sport recalls that Barcelona retain 20% of any future sale following his transfer to Real Betis in September 2023 for £6.4m (€7.5m).

That is an undeniable advantage for the Spanish giants, with the Moroccan international’s value now reaching £34m (€40m). However, with the summer signings of Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon, Barcelona have enough wingers in their squad.

No departure appears to be on the agenda in that area. It remains to be seen whether Flick will push to sign Abde and add this unique profile to his attack. Sport does not close the door: ‘And who knows, perhaps their paths will cross later.’