Abde Ezzalzouli is attracting interest from Liverpool
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesLiverpool’s search for attacking reinforcements this summer has led them to Spain, and specifically to a winger who has been one of La Liga’s most exciting players this season.According to Diario de Sevilla, Arne Slot’s side are tracking Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli, with the Reds described as wanting to sign an explosive attacking player ahead of next season. Given the circumstances at Anfield right now, it is not difficult to understand why.Mohamed Salah is leaving at the end of this season and is currently sidelined with a muscle tear sustained against Crystal Palace on Saturday, raising the very real possibility that he has already played his last game in a Liverpool shirt.The club sit fourth in the Premier League on 58 points, scrapping to secure Champions League football for next season with four games remaining.They need attacking quality coming in this summer, and Ezzalzouli fits the profile they are looking for almost perfectly.The 24-year-old Moroccan international has put together the best season of his career at Betis.Across all competitions, he has made 38 appearances totalling 2,749 minutes, contributing 12 goals and 12 assists — numbers that place him among the most productive wide players in Spanish football this term.In La Liga specifically, his output is even more impressive when you dig into the detail.He has started 21 of his 24 league appearances, scoring seven goals against an expected goals figure of 7.24, which tells you his finishing has been ruthlessly efficient rather than lucky.He has created ten big chances for teammates, contributed seven assists against an expected assists figure of just 2.93 — meaning he is significantly overperforming his assist metrics — and has averaged 76 minutes per league appearance.Since joining Betis from Barcelona in September 2023 for €7.5 million, he has now accumulated 26 goals and 17 assists across 123 appearances for the Seville club, but this season represents a clear step up in both output and consistency.Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini has been central to that development, working closely with the player on his decision-making and finishing in front of goal.The improvement has been dramatic and sustained, and Pellegrini has not been shy about explaining why.“He has a lot of potential.
He’s matured a great deal. He listens to what people tell him, he doesn’t shut himself off, he’s always open to criticism and advice.”“That’s why his goal tally has increased,” the Betis manager said.“Before, he created a lot of chances, but few of his actions ended in a goal.”“He’s earned it day after day.”From a financial standpoint, the deal is complicated but not impossible.Betis own 80 percent of Ezzalzouli’s rights following a clause triggered when Vitor Roque left the club, with Barcelona retaining the remaining 20 percent.He is contracted until 2029, so the Spanish club hold all the leverage in any negotiation.Ezzalzouli, Natan, and Sergi Altimira are identified as the players most likely to help Betis balance their books this summer, which means the door is open — but Liverpool will need to move with purpose.Ezzalzouli’s directness, his ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations, and his improvement in the final third make him exactly the kind of forward-thinking wide player that suits the way Liverpool want to play.Whether they ultimately land him remains to be seen, but the interest is real and the logic behind it is sound.