Anis Hadj Moussa travels to Barcelona with Feyenoord after €40 million transfer collapse

Feyenoord head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst has decided to include Anis Hadj Moussa in the squad for the Champions League trip to Barcelona, according to RTV Rijnmond. Days earlier, the Algerian winger seemed on the verge of moving to Saudi Arabian club Ittihad Club. Feyenoord and Ittihad had reportedly reached a verbal agreement over a transfer fee of at least 40 million euros. Only some final formalities remained. But on Sunday evening, the situation suddenly changed. Ittihad could not meet the bank guarantee demanded by Feyenoord, and thus the deal collapsed. Hadj Moussa did not undergo a medical and did not travel to Riyadh. The 22-year-old was visibly disappointed, changing his Instagram profile picture to an image wearing an oxygen mask, perhaps as a sign of emotion after the failure. Despite this, van Bronckhorst kept him in his plans and took him to Barcelona for the Champions League match on Wednesday at 18:45 at Camp Nou. The player himself reportedly addressed the squad, telling teammates he wants to move on and fully focus on Feyenoord. Facing Barcelona, one of the strongest sides in the world, is a big challenge. Hadj Moussa may get his chance to prove his worth. The transfer failure could become a motivation for the young winger to shine on one of football’s biggest stages.