Espanyol wing-back Omar El Hilali has addressed speculation linking him with a summer move to Barcelona.
He said he would leave this interest to his club to handle as he focuses on playing his best football.
The young Moroccan defender has attracted interest from Barça, despite previously rejecting offers from the club while progressing through Espanyol’s academy.
Now back on their radar, El Hilali acknowledged the rumours but insisted he has not received any direct communication about a potential transfer.
“Interest from Barça? I got this news from friends who send it to me,” El Hilali said. “Just like I haven’t received anything about this, I haven’t gotten any of the other things that have come out either.”
The 21-year-old also clarified that any transfer decisions would be handled by his representatives.
“Whatever comes in, the ones who have to evaluate it are my agents. That’s their job. From there, whatever has to happen will happen at that moment.”
Reports suggest that El Hilali has a €15 million release clause in his Espanyol contract, a figure that he finds surprising. “
A €15 million clause? That seems like a lot to me,” he said with a laugh. “These are numbers I’ve never heard of in my life. You could never say that a club would pay that for you. But if a club does, I suppose it’s because they really want you and believe you fit their plans.”
