After Roony Bardghji refused to extend his contract with FC Copenhagen, which runs out in December 2025, it was expected that interest around the 19-year-old Swedish wonderkid would rise to unforeseen levels. In the end, the mighty FC Barcelona have won the race for his signature on a lucrative, long-term contract - further proof of Hansi Flick's ambition to give talented youngsters an early chance to shine.
In what follows, Flashscore brings you up to speed on what we might expect in the forthcoming season from the talented Swede.
FC Porto had long pursued Bardghji and tabled a bid for the Swedish Under-21 international in June, which was, however, promptly turned down by the Danish champions, and now the Portuguese giants have been made to pay the price for failing to meet Copenhagen's demands.
Instead, Hansi Flick's men will now enjoy the fruits of Bardghji's immense potential.
The Swedish youngster is likely to begin with Barcelona Atletic, while simultaneously training alongside the first team, allowing him to gradually be groomed for the senior squad, of course, depending on his performances and consistency.
Bardghji could then ideally turn into a reliable backup for Lamine Yamal while also offering Yamal a breather from his intense playing schedule, while Barcelona, at the same time, manage not to put too much pressure on their otherwise troubled financial situation.
'My dream is to become the best footballer in the world'
Born in Kuwait City to a Syrian family, Roony Bardghji moved to Sweden as a child. He played for several youth clubs in the country, including Malmo's academy, before crossing the Oresund Bridge to sign for the FC Copenhagen academy in 2020.
At just 16 years and six days old, he made his first-team debut against AGF in November 2021, becoming the youngest player ever to play for the club.
A week later, he scored a stunning goal from outside the box against Aalborg, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Danish league, and immediately attracted attention from some of Europe's biggest clubs.
"He has an understanding of the game, as well as good balance and coordination, which gives him exceptional technique with the ball at his feet. It's incredibly difficult to take the ball away from him," said Swedish U-17 national team coach Johan Rosen to Sportexpressen.
"He's good one-on-one and has a great shot. He can shoot with both feet. Although he's mostly left-footed, he can also finish with his right. That makes him very difficult for defenders to predict."
Just as he was promoted quickly from the Copenhagen Academy, he jumped straight from Sweden's Under-17s (where he scored five goals in half a dozen games) to the Under-21s last year. However, despite his young age, he hasn't let himself be affected by the rising number of rumours related to a possible future in England, Spain, Italy, or Germany.
"My goal is to become the best footballer in the world. I've had that dream since I was little and nothing can stop me except myself," he told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet in 2022.
Roony Bardghji - StatisticsFlashare
Breakthrough against United in the Champions League
While Bardhji soon turned into a household name in the Danish domestic league, it was in the Champions League that he caught the eye of the international football world with his stunning performance against Manchester United in November 2023, which brought the FC Copenhagen faithful to their feet in a packed Parken stadium.
With the home side trailing, coach Jacob Neestrup brought on the 17-year-old in the 63rd minute, and 24 minutes later, Roony Bardhji scored his first Champions League goal, giving the Danish team a shocking 4-3 win, pushing his stardom to new heights.
That was the highlight of a season in which he made 36 appearances and scored 10 goals, but Bardhji's career then hit a serious stumbling block in May 2024, when the promising Swede suffered a ruptured cruciate knee ligament and was out of action for 11 months.
"It's hard when you see your teammates training and you can't be there. It's really tough, but I don't think about it too much.
"I'm quite focused, and I'm just thinking about rehabilitation and training as hard as I can to get back as soon as possible, stronger than ever before. That's my goal," he told Expressen.
Almost a year after returning to the pitch, it was already known that his future would not be at FC Copenhagen, as there was no agreement to renew his contract, which was set to expire on the last day of 2025.
This prompted a host of European clubs to up their interest in the Swedish Under-21 international, with clubs like FC Porto, Juventus, Olympique Marseille, and Real Madrid jostling for his talents.
Yet Barcelona always seemed to hold the ace card, buoyed by Bardghji’s preference for wearing the iconic Blaugrana jersey, and now it just remains to be seen if Bardhji, under the leadership of Flick, can continue his steep learning curve as a possible backup for Yamal.