Feyenoord face a major problem ahead of Barcelona clash as star player revolts | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to kickstart their Champions League campaign on Wednesday as they play hosts to Feyenoord.

The hierarchy of the Dutch giants’ have already stated that they are ready to face the Catalans this midweek.

But the club have been dealt a rather peculiar and alarming problem heading into this crunch fixture, with one of their players actively revolting against the club.

The story of Anis Hadj Moussa

Moussa wants to leave Feyenoord. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

According to Voetbal, as relayed by Diario SPORT, Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj Moussa has declared himself absent from the squad following the club’s refusal to let him leave for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

The Algerian international has been the subject of an aggressive pursuit from Al-Ittihad, with the Saudi club’s initial offer of €32 million eventually rising to €37 million on Friday.

That figure would smash Feyenoord’s all-time transfer record, currently held by Mats Wieffer’s €32 million move to Brighton.

Despite the lucrative offer, Feyenoord opted to reject it, as the club had no way of signing a replacement, with the Dutch transfer window already closing.

The club had also registered Hadj Moussa into the Champions League squad.

The player initially accepted the decision, but influenced by his family and representative, he changed his stance over the weekend.

Hadj Moussa declared himself absent and refused to play in Feyenoord’s Eredivisie match against NEC Nijmegen on Saturday, creating a major internal headache.

Barcelona watching closely

Moussa was part of the Algerian World Cup team. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The timing could hardly be worse for Giovani Van Bronckhorst’s side, who are now facing the prospect of travelling to Camp Nou without one of their most dangerous attacking weapons.

Hadj Moussa was one of Feyenoord’s standout performers last season, finishing with 11 goals and six assists in 30 Eredivisie appearances.

Losing him for a fixture of this magnitude would be a significant blow.

The Saudi League transfer window remains open until September 6, meaning the saga could rumble on through the Barcelona game.