Anis Hadj Moussa changes Instagram image after Al-Ittihad transfer collapses

Anis Hadj Moussa has changed his Instagram profile picture after his proposed move from Feyenoord to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad fell through.

The 24-year-old Algeria international, who plays as a right winger, had previously used an image of himself wearing the Feyenoord shirt. On Sunday, he replaced it with a picture showing him in an Algeria shirt and wearing an oxygen mask.

The change appears to be a response to the failure of his transfer to Al-Ittihad, although Hadj Moussa has not publicly explained the meaning of the new image.

Al-Ittihad had reached an agreement with Feyenoord over a deal worth about 40m euros for the player. However, the Saudi club either could not provide, or did not wish to provide, the bank guarantee required to complete the transaction.

As a result, Feyenoord did not receive the financial security it had demanded and the transfer could not be finalised.

The Rotterdam club’s position was influenced by its previous experience with Al-Nassr during David Hancko’s departure. Feyenoord wanted the proposed agreement with Al-Ittihad to include a bank guarantee before allowing the move to proceed.

That guarantee was not supplied, leaving the deal in failure and Hadj Moussa at Feyenoord.

The situation places the focus on a transfer that had appeared to be worth approximately 40m euros to the Dutch club. Instead of completing his switch to Saudi Arabia, Hadj Moussa remains associated with Feyenoord, while his social media update has drawn attention because of its timing and its unusual imagery.

His former profile image showed him in Feyenoord colours. The new one, featuring the Algeria shirt and oxygen mask, has been interpreted as a visual response to the collapse of the negotiations. The player has not added any further public comment in the information available.

The decisive issue was not the agreed transfer value, but the absence of the financial guarantee sought by Feyenoord. The club’s previous dealings with Al-Nassr had led it to insist on that protection in this case.

With the required banking security missing, the agreement between Feyenoord and Al-Ittihad could not be completed. Hadj Moussa’s Instagram change then provided the clearest indication of his reaction to an outcome that prevented the move from going ahead.

The proposed transfer would have taken the Algeria winger from Feyenoord to Al-Ittihad for a fee of about 40m euros. Instead, the breakdown over the bank guarantee means the deal has ended without completion.