Real Betis rejected Everton’s deadline-day bid for Morocco winger Abde Ezzalzouli, a €43m package (€35m guaranteed plus €8m in add-ons) that fell €17m short of his €60m release clause.
The proposal comprised €35m in guaranteed fees plus €8m in add-ons, with Spanish and English media describing it as a “major” or “big money” bid.
It followed Everton’s failed attempts to sign other attacking targets, including Joshua Zirkzee and Tammy Abraham, and represented the club’s only concrete formal offer for Ezzalzouli, with no improved bid arriving afterward.
Central to Betis’ decision was the player’s €60m release clause, which serves as the club’s benchmark for any sale.
Everton’s package left a €17m shortfall against that figure, a gap explicitly cited by Betis as grounds for rejection.
Club hierarchy refused to negotiate below the clause on deadline day, insisting that only full payment of that amount would be accepted.
Earlier in the year, reports had placed Betis’ valuation between €35m and €40m, but the club’s stance hardened by deadline day due to timing and sporting considerations.
President Ángel Haro described the offer as “major” but not close enough to the clause, stressing that valuation now rested on the contractual figure rather than earlier speculation.
With the bid landing on the transfer window’s final day, Betis had minimal opportunity to find a replacement for a starting winger.
The sporting department was reportedly unwilling to weaken the squad hours before the market closed without assurance of reinvestment, a move that risked disrupting squad balance and tactical continuity ahead of upcoming fixtures.
The club’s Champions League participation also factored into the decision.
Haro indicated a desire to keep Ezzalzouli for a campaign involving European competition, prioritizing sporting strength over an immediate cash injection.
Technical staff viewed Abde as a key member of the starting lineup, making his exit costly from a tactical standpoint, and his development reflects the broader Morocco’s rise as a footballing nation producing top-level attacking talent.
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