Anis Hadj Moussa will not be part of Feyenoord's matchday squad for Saturday afternoon's away game against NEC, De Telegraaf reports. The Algerian forward arrived late for the players' coach to Nijmegen and then went home.
His absence is tied to the transfer saga surrounding him. The international has his sights set on a move to Ittihad, who submitted a bid of €37.5 million to Feyenoord on Friday.
That fee would be a record sale for the Rotterdam club, but Feyenoord decided on Friday evening not to cooperate. Hadj Moussa is desperate to make the move to Saudi Arabia, partly because of the astronomical salary waiting for him there.
Earlier reports claimed the forward could earn more than €50 million over five seasons at Al-Ittihad.
Meanwhile, Ittihad are keeping other options open. The club have shown interest in PSV forward Esmir Bajraktarevic and PSV have been informed, although Hadj Moussa remains an important target for the time being.
Time is running out for a breakthrough, with the transfer window in Saudi Arabia closing on Sunday 6 September.
Feyenoord kick off away to NEC in Nijmegen at 4.30pm on Saturday without Hadj Moussa.
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