Barcelona starlet Ez Abde has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for La Liga rivals Real Betis ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to Catalan publication SPORT, La Liga club Real Betis have set their sights on a move for Barcelona forward Ez Abde in the upcoming transfer window.
Abde started at the Elche youth academy before joining Hercules CF, where he progressed through the ranks and made 22 senior appearances. The 20-year-old attacker joined Barcelona in the summer transfer window of last year, linking up with the club’s B team initially.
However, injuries to several forwards in the first team saw the youngster being called up to the senior squad in October. Abde made his debut in La Liga clash against Deportivo Alaves when Sergi Barjuan was in charge, right after Ronald Koeman’s sacking and before Xavi Hernandez took over the reins.
Upon arrival, Xavi also put his faith in Abde and gave him several opportunities to impress, which the forward made the most of. He has made 12 appearances for the Catalan giants’ first team, bagging one goal in the process. However, the arrivals of Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw Abde return to the B team.
The 20-year-old has been impressive and, along with Ferran Jutgla, has helped the team stay in contention for a playoff finish. Abde has made 18 appearances for the Barcelona B team, scoring one goal and registering seven assists.
But, Abde will no longer be a part of the B team squad starting next season, while a place in the senior setup looks doubtful due to the plethora of attacking talent already available at the manager’s disposal. Indeed, Xavi already has Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembele and Torres as options for the wide areas.
In addition to that, the Blaugrana are working to sign Raphinha from Leeds United. It would make it hard for Abde to get regular game-time at the first-team level next term. So, a summer exit could be on the cards, and Real Betis have presented themselves as a potential destination for the 20-year-old forward.
As per the report, Los Verdiblancos have decided not to extend the contract of former Barcelona forward Cristian Tello and need to replace him in the summer, with Abde being seen as the ideal candidate. Barcelona would be open to selling the Moroccan forward as long as a repurchase clause is inserted in the deal or sanctioning a loan exit. So, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the 20-year-old.
