Hadj Moussa shines for Feyenoord after failed Al-Ittihad move

Anis Hadj Moussa scored twice as Feyenoord beat FC Utrecht 5-0 on Sunday, earning praise from manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst after responding strongly to his failed transfer to Saudi Arabia.

The Algeria international has scored in each of his past three Eredivisie appearances and has now registered successive doubles. His latest goals came before he joined up with Algeria for the international break.

Hadj Moussa, who has 18 caps and two goals for his country, also provided an assist on the second matchday of the Eredivisie. He now has six attacking contributions in seven league matches.

“It is very impressive,” Van Bronckhorst said of Hadj Moussa’s form in his post-match news conference.

The 24-year-old’s performances come only two weeks after a proposed move to Al-Ittihad collapsed. His relationship with Feyenoord had been strained in the days surrounding the transfer situation, including his absence for the match against NEC on 9 September.

The club officially attributed that omission to disciplinary reasons after Hadj Moussa missed the team bus.

Feyenoord had initially been reluctant to allow the winger to leave because the Dutch transfer window had closed and the club feared it would be unable to find a replacement. However, the Rotterdam club agreed to discuss a deal with Al-Ittihad worth 40m euros, potentially rising to €42m with bonuses.

Negotiations then stalled when Feyenoord requested a bank guarantee, a condition regarded as unusual by their Saudi counterparts, who did not agree to it.

In an attempt to ease tensions, Hadj Moussa addressed his team-mates the day after the proposed move fell through. The forward was then left with the task of showing that his mindset had changed on the pitch.

His recent displays have provided that response. After scoring twice in Feyenoord’s emphatic victory over Utrecht, he departed for international duty having continued the most productive run of his time at the club.