Anis Hadj Moussa has rejoined Feyenoord's squad for Wednesday's Champions League encounter with FC Barcelona in Catalonia, signalling his intention to move past a collapsed transfer to Saudi Arabian club Ittihad. The Algerian winger will travel with the Dutch side ahead of the 18:45 kickoff after spending the weekend in limbo as financial negotiations unravelled between the two clubs.
Hadj Moussa appeared destined for the Middle East after Feyenoord and Ittihad reached a verbal agreement on a deal valued at over €40 million. The forward was deliberately omitted from Saturday's Eredivisie fixture against NEC—which Feyenoord won 3-1—to prepare for his departure. However, the transfer collapsed Sunday evening when Ittihad refused to provide the bank guarantee Feyenoord demanded as a condition of the sale. Without financial certainty from the Saudi club, the Rotterdam outfit declined to green-light the multi-million euro transaction, and Hadj Moussa never completed the scheduled medical examination in Jeddah.
From Frustration to Refocus
The winger's disappointment was evident on social media. On Sunday night, Hadj Moussa replaced his Instagram profile picture with an image depicting him wearing an oxygen mask—an apparent expression of the emotional toll following the deal's collapse. Yet by Monday, the 25-year-old had shifted his mindset entirely.
Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst elected to bring Hadj Moussa back into the fold "as normal," according to reports. The player has since addressed his teammates about the weekend's turbulent events and communicated his desire to concentrate solely on Feyenoord's European campaign. For a club competing in the Champions League group stage, maintaining squad cohesion and player focus is paramount.
Feyenoord's trip to Barcelona represents a significant test in their European push. With Hadj Moussa's commitment reinforced and internal matters resolved, the club can approach the fixture with unified purpose.
