Flick fires up the Ez Abde return saga: do Barcelona have a route to bring back the Atlas Lion?
Two players who missed the chance to return
Hansi Flick has heaped praise on Abde Ezzalzouli ahead of Barcelona's trip to Real Betis on Saturday. The Morocco winger left the Catalan club in the summer of 2023 and has since grown into one of the Andalusians' most dangerous attackers.
At 24, Ezzalzouli caught the eye with a superb goal in Betis's 3-2 win over Porto, further boosting his standing among the players big clubs and coaches are watching. His market value has climbed from 15 million euros when he left Barcelona to 40 million euros, according to Transfermarkt.
Flick said during the press conference before the Betis match: "What I see impresses me. He is a wonderful player, and I really like the way he plays, his confidence in one-on-one situations in the final third of the pitch, and he is also able to score. That is a great thing."
On 1 September 2023, Barcelona confirmed Ezzalzouli's transfer to Real Betis for 7.5 million euros, keeping a buy-back option and the right to 50% of the proceeds from any future sale. Another deal would later change those terms.
The Vitor Roque deal changed Barcelona's calculations
Vitor Roque's move to Palmeiras in February 2025 triggered the shift. The Brazilian had been on loan at Real Betis, and the deal, worth 25 million euros fixed plus 5 million euros in variables, saw Barcelona give up 30% of the resale percentage they had retained on Ezzalzouli.
Barcelona's share of any future sale of the Moroccan winger therefore dropped to just 20%, while the buy-back right expired in the summer of 2025, according to the terms stated in the agreement.
Ezzalzouli's contract with Real Betis runs until 30 June 2029, which hands the Andalusian club control of his future. Barcelona, meanwhile, can only wait on a future sale to collect what remains of their cut.
Rashford closed the door on a return for now
Last summer, a return to Barcelona was on the table. The Catalans went elsewhere, taking Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United rather than bringing back their former winger.
Promoted from the reserve side, Ezzalzouli played 14 matches for Barcelona's first team and scored against Osasuna in a 2-2 draw.
He also spent a loan spell at Osasuna, featuring in 34 matches and scoring 6 goals, before his move to Betis.
Since joining the Andalusian side, Ezzalzouli has scored 32 goals in 134 matches. He is now one of their most potent attacking weapons and a problem Barcelona's defence must handle carefully on Saturday, with the Catalan club left holding nothing more than a limited share of any future sale.
