Anis Hadj Moussa is back in Feyenoord training, facing his teammates with an explanation after a transfer saga that nearly resulted in the club’s biggest ever sale.
The Algeria international is set to travel with the Rotterdam squad for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona, according to RTV Rijnmond. Just days ago, his proposed move to Al-Ittihad looked so close that it exposed a serious rift between player and club.
Feyenoord resisted selling, not only over the fee but because the Dutch transfer window had already closed. Any departure would have left the club unable to sign a conventional replacement, and a free agent brought in after the deadline would have been ineligible for the Champions League.
A €40m negotiation stopped by bank guarantee
Al-Ittihad’s pursuit escalated quickly. Initial reports put the Saudi club’s offer at €30m, then €37.5m, and finally close to €40m.
Feyenoord agreed to discuss a package reportedly worth €40m, potentially rising to €42m with bonuses. The deal would have delivered a major cash injection but at the cost of losing a key attacker. One report suggested it could have become Feyenoord’s largest sale ever.
The deal collapsed at the last moment. Al-Ittihad failed to provide the bank guarantee Feyenoord demanded, and without that financial safeguard, the Dutch club refused to proceed.
Without the guarantee, Feyenoord would have risked losing a valuable asset with no certainty of payment and no way to sign a Champions League-eligible replacement. The club had already lost Japan striker Ayase Ueda to Lille, further thinning its attacking options ahead of the Barcelona fixture.
Hadj Moussa has been at the heart of Feyenoord’s plans since arriving in the summer of 2024. He’s credited with 86 appearances, 26 goals, and 13 assists for the club. This season, he’s started all four of Feyenoord’s opening matches, scoring once and providing one assist.
Bus incident deepened a contractual stand-off
Tensions flared before the transfer collapsed. Hadj Moussa missed the team bus for Feyenoord’s league trip to NEC, despite the squad staying overnight in Nijmegen.
Dutch media reported he remained at the hotel before heading home. Feyenoord called his omission disciplinary, but the timing only fueled speculation around the Al-Ittihad negotiations.
The winger was frustrated by what he saw as a lack of clarity from Feyenoord over the transfer. His representatives believed verbal agreements had been made regarding a possible move, according to reports. Feyenoord’s management denied any formal commitment.
As the deal unraveled, Hadj Moussa changed his social media profile picture, a move that hinted at deeper fallout than just a missed transfer fee.
Monday’s return to training was anything but routine. Hadj Moussa reportedly addressed his teammates to explain the situation, while Feyenoord worked to reintegrate a player they deemed too important to lose before Barcelona.
With Al-Ittihad forced to look elsewhere, Hadj Moussa is expected to travel with Feyenoord for their Champions League meeting in Barcelona.