French-Egyptian starlet Haissem Hassan has completed a move to Spanish club Real Oviedo from Villareal on a permanent basis.
Born in France to an Egyptian father and a Tunisian mother, Hassan came through the youth ranks of Paris FC and LB Châteauroux, before impressing and getting promoted to the first team at just 17.
After just 19 appearances with Châteauroux, Hassan attracted interest from several European sides, including Fiorentina, Brentford, and Lille, but he ended up choosing LaLiga giants Villarreal, whom he signed in October 2020.
Hassan made just two appearances at Estadi de la Ceràmica and was limited to playing time with the B team in the third and second tiers before he was sent out on loans to LaLiga2 outfit CD Mirandés and Sporting Gijón.
Last season, Hassan was a regular in Gijón, making 42 appearances in which he scored twice and assisted five times, helping the team finish fifth and reach the promotion play-offs, before losing to Espanyol in the semi-finals.
After four seasons at the club, Villarreal have found it best to let the player leave permanently as he now signed for LaLiga2 outfit Real Oviedo for a reported fee of €1.5 million.
Real Oviedo were so close to earning promotion to LaLiga last season, before falling to Espanyol play-off final 2-1 on aggregate.
Hassan will become Real Oviedo’s ninth summer signing and their most expensive one as he will now play alongside Santi Cazorla and under ex-Villarreal and Levante boss Javier Calleja.
The 22-year-old represented France’s U-17 and U-18 sides and even made their 2019 U-17 World Cup squad, with former Egypt manager Carlos Queiroz contacting the player over a potential call-up in 2021.
