The loan saying of Abdul Aziz Issah at Barcelona Atletic has ended, whereby the Spanish giants choose not to activate the purchase option in his contract. As a result, the promising attacker returns to his parent club Dreams FC prior to the 2024/25 season.
Issah's trip to Barcelona was filled with hope and excitement after a great campaign with Dreams FC, especially during the CAF Confederation Cup 2023-24, where he played a crucial role in the historic run from Dreams to the semi-final.
In just 18 years, Issah scored four goals and provided two assists in ten games, including a spectacular long-distance attack against Lobito that was on the shortlist for CAF goal of the year 2024.
His performances earned him nominations for the young player of the year and Interclub Player of the Year during the CAF Awards, which ultimately led to Barcelona received his services on a seasonal loan in September 2024.
At the Bij Barcelona Atletic, the B -team of the club, expectations were high. Issah started clearly, made his debut against Real Sociedad B in November 2024 and even attracted the attention of the first team coach Hansi Flick, who invited him to train a few times with the Senior Squadron.
After these early signs of promise, however, the progress of Issah stuck. He only succeeded in two performances, in total only 26 minutes on the field and then completely fell out of the MatchDay squadrons.
There were no reported injuries or disciplinary issues; On the contrary, Issah spent months with training but not playing, in a frustrating period that his development stall saw.
This silence was a stark contrast with the clear start that he had hoped for, and as the season ended, Barcelona decided not to activate the purchase option.
Despite the setback in Spain, the talent of Issah continued to shine on the international stage. He played an important role for Ghana's U20 team in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and won the Man of the Match Award in a group stage victory over the Central African Republic.
His versions helped the black satellites to reach the quarterfinals, where they were narrowly eliminated by Egypt, where Issah scored Ghana's first goal in the game.
His continuous development was rewarded with a senior national team call-up and he made his Black Stars debut at the Unity Cup in a 4-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in May.
Although his time in Barcelona did not unfold as hoped, his performances in Africa and on the international theater show still have the potential to bounce back and continue his upward process in professional football.
Dreams FC will gladly reinforce their exciting prospect and help him regain the form that once traveled one of Europe's largest clubs.
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