La Liga club Real Betis are reportedly looking to sign Abdessamad Ezzalzouli from FC Barcelona, according to French media outlet Footmercato.
According to the same source, Barca have not yet granted the greenlight for a move, despite negotiations between the Atlas Lion and Betis having resulted in an agreement.
“In particular, Betis are waiting to sell Juanmi before they can make a convincing offer to Barca,” stresses the French media outlet.
Having recently excelled during the U-23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ezzalzouli has been on the radar of several European clubs, notably Bayern Leverkusen, but the Atlas Lion prefers to play for a Spanish club.
On tour in the USA with FC Barcelona, Ezzalzouli also showed great ability and has reportedly made figures within the Catalan club more receptive towards him staying.
However, the club’s precarious finances mean that they have to let some of their players go in order to be able to recruit during the ongoing summer window.
During Barcelona’s match with Arsenal on Wednesday, the Atlas Lion’s performance enthralled the crowd and the international media as he contributed to his team’s first goal.
Although the game ended with a 3-5 score in favor of the Premier League team, Ezzalzouli seized the opportunity to prove his dependability to his manager Xavi.
Spanish sports outlets such as Mundo Deportivo have strongly advised the Barcelona coach not to let go of Ezzalzouli given his recent standout performances.