Barcelona frustrated with Real Betis after missing out on €8.6m windfall from ex-winger’s collapsed move
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Barcelona are frustrated with Real Betis after the Andalusian club rejected the opportunity to sell former Barça winger Ez Abde during the final stages of the summer transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona had been counting on Abde’s departure generating another significant financial return.
The Catalan club retained % of the rights to a future sale when the Morocco international left for Betis, meaning a lucrative transfer would have put additional money into Barça’s accounts.
That opportunity ultimately disappeared when Betis decided to keep Abde despite receiving serious interest from Premier League clubs.
The most significant approach came from Everton, who offered €43 million for the winger.
On the other hand, several English clubs had previously monitored Abde, including Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Real Betis decided not to sell Ez Abde. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Barcelona had therefore been hoping Betis would accept one of the offers.
Barcelona were set for €8.6m from Abde sale
Abde’s release clause at Betis stands at €60m, although the offers received fell below that figure.
Everton’s €43m proposal would nevertheless have been highly valuable to Barcelona because of the 20% sell-on rights retained by the Catalan club.
Had the transfer gone through at that amount, Barça would have received approximately €8.6 million.
That figure had been factored into Barcelona’s financial planning.
Furthermore, a separate proposal discussed during the closing stages of the window involved a guaranteed €35m plus €8m in potential add-ons.
Ez Abde’s sale could have benefitted Barcelona. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Had that structure been completed, Barcelona’s share would have been around €7m.
However, neither scenario materialised. Betis ultimately chose to keep Abde, leaving Barcelona without the additional income they had expected from the winger’s departure.
Barcelona’s frustration is understandable
Barcelona have generated more than €100m from player sales this summer, with some of that income coming through transfers involving players no longer directly at the club and other deals involving training compensation or contractual rights.
The Abde situation was different. Barça had a clearly defined financial interest in his next transfer and had reason to expect a sizeable return if Betis accepted one of the Premier League offers.
The €8.6m that could have arrived from Everton’s proposal would not have transformed Barcelona’s finances, but it would have represented meaningful additional room under their financial restrictions.
However, the Andalusian club decided the sporting value of keeping Abde outweighed the financial opportunity.