Giovanni van Bronckhorst does not expect Anis Hadj Moussa to leave Feyenoord after all. If that does happen, the coach will not stand in his forward's way. Feyenoord will then have their reasons, he believes.
Feyenoord rejected an opening bid of €30 million from Al-Ittihad for Hadj Moussa. The Saudi Pro League club are returning on Friday with a second offer of €37.5 million.
"We have sold Ayase Ueda and, in principle, not Anis. I expect him to stay here. But as I say: you also have to look at what is best for the club and the people who decide that," Van Bronckhorst said on Friday at a media moment at De Kuip.
He then added his view on the in-demand Hadj Moussa: "I think that is the path we have to follow. We have to see the reality of that and we all do within Feyenoord, including the staff and players. I think that is the only way to approach it and to be able to move forward positively."
Van Bronckhorst has already spoken to Hadj Moussa about the situation. "I have not seen a player who bangs his fist on the table and has said that he absolutely wants to leave. That is not how he sees it."
For now, the coach is calm. "We have to wait and see what is going to happen. But I do not expect Anis to leave. And if he does leave, then the club will have their reasons for it," he said, leaving the decision with the Feyenoord board.
He also knows there is a point where the numbers change everything. "In the end, sums can also come in that a club cannot refuse. That is where the club have to decide for themselves whether Anis leaves or not. I do not get the feeling it is heading that way, but it is important for us to keep him. He has been hugely influential in terms of goals and assists," Van Bronckhorst said.