FC Barcelona have put a price tag on tricky winger Ez Abde.
FC Barcelona have put a price on a tricky winger in Xavi Hernandez’s first team squad according to Mundo Deportivo.
Ez Abde has managed to win the coach over following his return from a loan assignment at Osasuna.
In matches against Tottenham Hotspur in the Joan Gamper Trophy, plus Getafe and Cadiz in La Liga, the Moroccan international has been effective as an impact substitute capable of giving Barca the creative spark they lacked until his introduction.
With Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres failing to lock down the position for some time now, the left wing spot is up for grabs.
Abde is more than capable of making it his, and Xavi has “no intention of letting go” a “different”, unsettling type of player only found elsewhere on the opposite flank in 16-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal now that Ousmane Dembele has departed to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barca’s financial predicament is what it is, however, with bringing in fresh faces and getting them registered one of the biggest hurdles faced in preseason while other clubs spend at will.
While Xavi would like Abde to stay, the Catalans have reportedly put a €30 million ($32.3 million) price tag on the 21-year-old and would only be willing to entertain offloading him if it was met.
Abde has already received interest from Aston Villa in England and Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
As Mundo Deportivo explains, however, the Germans were only willing to part with half of Barca’s desired amount meaning that no deal materialized. Furthermore, the side managed by Liverpool and Real Madrid legend Xabi Alonso has moved on to other targets in the transfer market.
Real Betis could have been another potential destination for Abde with former Barca sporting director Ramon Planes now plying his trade there.
Rather than making an all-out purchase, though, the Andalusians would have only been able to offer another loan like the one that previously took Abde to Osasuna and then on an unprecedented run to the Copa del Rey final where Madrid were the victors.
On Sunday afternoon, Abde could start against Villarreal if Xavi opts for a 4-3-3 that doesn’t use a midfielder such as Gavi or Ilkay Gundogan as a false left winger.