Atletico Madrid, Aston Villa eye Barcelona starlet as Real Betis move could be under threat | OneFootball

The potential signing of Barcelona winger Ez Abde by Real Betis is far from a done deal at this point, reports Pepe Elias via BeSoccer.

In fact, the previously assumed agreement is up in the smoke despite the media taking it as a sure thing since noon, and as such the likes of Sevilla, Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, and Aston Villa have now entered the race.

As it turns out, last-minute complications have cropped up for the Verdiblancos due to Al Ittihad’s failure to clear the way for the signing of Luiz Felipe.

As a result, Betis cannot currently rely on the €22 million plus €3 million deal they had in place, which would have boosted their salary cap.

What happened to the agreement with Betis?

Real Betis indeed had an agreement in place with Barcelona for the acquisition of Abde at a price of €10 million for 50% of the player’s rights.

However, Betis faced a financial challenge in making this deal happen, despite receiving approximately €4 million for a transfer of one of their players to Olympique Lyon.

This amount did not create sufficient room in their budget to complete the transfer, especially considering they were also banking on the funds that would have come in from the departure of Felipe.

Now, Betis repeatedly communicated to Barcelona their willingness to sign Abde on loan under an arrangement that included a purchase option.

However, Barcelona firmly rejected this option, as they too required funds and needed to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, which were essential for registering players like Joao Felix and others.

Barcelona open to other suitors

Abde to Betis under threat? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

As a result of this event, Barcelona have started to entertain alternative offers they had on the table for Abde.

Despite the player’s inclination to join Betis, Barcelona are exploring options from other clubs, including Sevilla FC, Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, and Aston Villa.

Sevilla, once considered a distant contender in the pursuit of Abde, now find themselves immersed in intricate negotiations with Barcelona.

Interestingly, Abde had already pledged his commitment to Real Betis, and the board of the Verdiblancos is diligently exploring diverse strategies to make this transfer a reality.

Barcelona find themselves in a situation with Sevilla, Osasuna, Atletico, and Aston Villa all vying for their attention, and they must reach a decision before the transfer window shuts.

But with Real Betis set to put up a personal guarantee, the situation could unlock and the youngster’s move to Benito Villamarin could be back on.