Xavi wants Ez Abde to have an important role next season
Barcelona, limited by their economic issues, see in the young forward the perfect replacement for Memphis Depay, who signed for Atlético.
It’s still January, but the big clubs are already planning their next season and, in some cases, already signing players that will strengthen their squads shortly.
Barcelona are no strangers to this tendency and have already started working on their future team, taking into consideration the club will need to find good players at a very low cost in the market.
It seems unlikely Barcelona will bring in a replacement for Memphis Depay this transfer window after the Dutch international joined Atlético Madrid, as the Catalan giants have a tiny salary limit left to sign another player.
Moreover, having Ousmane Dembélé, Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, and Raphinha in their offensive arsenal, Barça’s best bet might be avoiding any signing for just six months.
And that’s where Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s name comes out. According to the newspaper Sport, Xavi wants to recover the Moroccan player.
The young winger, commonly known as Ez Abde, burst in last season when Ronald Koeman was in charge of the team, but he ended up joining Osasuna on loan after the club brought in many new faces last summer.
With Los Rojillos, Abde, 21, has proven to have the skills to trouble the opponent’s defensive lines, as happened against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, when his goal saw Osasuna progress to the semifinals.
Abde, Dembélé, Alarcón: three wingers for Xavi
Abde has recorded two assists and one goal in his 15 appearances with Osasuna. Although his numbers are not impressive, he’s young and talented and Xavi believes he can keep growing as a player at Can Barça.
The Morocco international won’t be the only new face up front next season. Promising winger Ángel Alarcón is the other Barcelona young prospect Xavi is eyeing for the attack.
The 18-year-old made his debut with the first team when he was included in the Catalans’ squad for their Copa del Rey game against AD Ceuta.
In a bid to boost and keep young talents, the club has reached an agreement with the player to extend his contract until June 30, 2025.
The two players are expected to show their quality on the pitch and prove they have what it takes to be in such a talented squad. However, Xavi believes that the future of the team in attack will still rely largely on Dembélé's quality.
Despite the freshness and the alternatives that both Abde and Alarcón may offer, the French player is expected to keep being a key player in the attack, as he is only 25 and seems to be showing his best level under Xavi’s coaching.