Anis Hadj Moussa travels with Feyenoord to Barcelona after €40m Ittihad transfer collapses

On Monday morning at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Anis Hadj Moussa silently boarded the Feyenoord plane, unexpectedly reopening a transfer story that seemed closed. RTV Rijnmond confirmed that the 22-year-old Algerian winger was part of the squad travelling to Barcelona for the Champions League match against FC Barcelona. Just four days earlier, the story had looked completely different. Hadj Moussa was left out of Feyenoord’s squad for the away match against NEC, which Feyenoord won 3-1. The reason soon emerged: he was close to joining Ittihad Club, a Saudi Arabian side willing to pay at least €40 million to take him to the Middle East. Feyenoord and Ittihad had reached a verbal agreement worth no less than €40 million. It looked like one of the biggest sales in Rotterdam club’s recent history. Only final formalities remained. But within 24 hours, the deal collapsed. According to Dutch media, Feyenoord demanded a bank guarantee from Ittihad to assure payment of the huge transfer fee. The Saudi club refused. There was no medical, no trip to Riyadh. A multi-million euro transfer fell apart over a dry but crucial financial clause. The emotional blow for Hadj Moussa was enormous. On Instagram, he changed his profile picture to a photo showing him wearing an oxygen mask. In context, it seemed like a symbol of suffocation after his Saudi dream fell through. He thought everything was done; then it vanished. However, Feyenoord’s reaction went against expectations. Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst decided to bring Hadj Moussa to Barcelona as if nothing unusual had happened. He then spoke with the squad, explained the situation, and said he wanted to focus on Feyenoord. Tactically, Hadj Moussa’s presence gives Feyenoord an extra weapon against Barcelona. The Catalan side dominates possession, but Feyenoord will need speed in transition. Hadj Moussa is exactly the type of winger who can exploit space behind a high defensive line. His pace and dribbling could be valuable in a game where Feyenoord are underdogs. Financially, keeping Hadj Moussa until the summer may cost Feyenoord a guaranteed €40 million. But football does not always follow pure financial logic. If he performs well at Barcelona, his market value might even rise. Champions League matches are watched by Europe’s biggest clubs. The collapse of the deal also reveals a permanent truth of modern football: verbal agreements are never final. Bank guarantees have become necessary conditions in high-value transfers. Feyenoord was right to ask; Ittihad refused for its own reasons. Now Hadj Moussa must prove his professionalism on the pitch. Barcelona is a harsh test, but also a perfect stage to transform disappointment into motivation. Feyenoord, too, must move forward. Losing €40 million is painful, but keeping a hungry player can bring values beyond numbers. When the ball rolls at Barcelona, there will be no room for stories about bank guarantees or an oxygen-mask photo. Only the ball and the player’s choice remain. Anis Hadj Moussa is still a Feyenoord player, and he has been given a flight to Barcelona – where Champions League dreams still matter.