Serie A giants AS Roma are reportedly ready to pay €10 million to snap up 20-year-old prospect Ez Abde from Barcelona in the summer.
According to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Ez Abde is the subject of interest from AS Roma over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Serie A giants are willing to offer €10 million to secure the services of the Barcelona prospect ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, better known as Ez Abde, joined Barcelona from Hercules last summer after spending many of his formative years at the Valencian club. However, the 20-year-old has had to suffice with mostly turning out for the Catalan club’s reserve side.
But the Moroccan international has also featured 12 times for the Barcelona first team, making an impression during a difficult period for the Blaugrana. That said, Ez Abde is frustrated about the lack of first-team opportunities at Camp Nou and could leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window. Such a situation has captured the attention of AS Roma.
AS Roma had been interested in signing Ez Abde from Barcelona in the January transfer window. But Xavi Hernandez intervened and coaxed the 20-year-old prospect to stay put at Camp Nou for the second half of the season. However, since asking him to remain with the Blaugrana, Xavi has not utilised the youngster much.
A move to AS Roma could thus offer the Moroccan international the chance to gain prominence at the first-team level. The Serie A giants will likely make sweeping changes to the senior squad in the summer transfer window, with attack an area that could be addressed, amid Nicolo Zaniolo’s links with clubs across Europe.
Ez Abde is a viable target to replace Zaniolo at Stadio Olimpico, with the Giallorossi prepared to pay €10 million for him. But the 20-year-old prospect is not the only Barcelona player on AS Roma’s radar, with the Serie A heavyweights also keen on securing the services of Neto in the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, Barcelona might not stand in AS Roma’s way in the summer, even though recent reports had claimed that they might loan him out instead. But with AS Roma ready to offer €10 million to land the young prospect, it will be interesting to see if he remains at Barcelona or embarks on an adventure in Serie A.