Barcelona's Winger Dilemma: Roony Bardghji Faces Exit

Barcelona have spent the summer loading up out wide. Not quietly, not cautiously – decisively.

Anthony Gordon in on one flank. Karim Adeyemi on the other. Add them to a squad that already carries Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, and the wings at Montjuïc suddenly feel overcrowded. For one young talent in particular, the message is clear.

Roony Bardghji is being squeezed out.

From deputy to disposable

Bardghji arrived last summer with a clear brief: back up Yamal, learn the rhythm of elite football in Barcelona, grow in the shadows of one of the brightest prospects in the game.

The minutes never really came.

His role stayed marginal through last season, and with the new arrivals, the pathway has narrowed to a sliver. The numbers on the depth chart tell the story. Yamal, Gordon, Adeyemi, Raphinha – four players ahead of him for two spots. For a 19-year-old who needs games, not promises, that is a dead end.

So the conversation has changed. Not about potential, but about opportunity.

Decision made: Bardghji to leave

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Bardghji have agreed to seek a move before the transfer window closes. This is not a vague idea or an early-stage discussion. The decision has been taken: Bardghji will leave this summer.

The motivation is straightforward. The Swedish winger wants more minutes, more responsibility, a stage where he can make mistakes and still be trusted the following weekend. That cannot be guaranteed in a squad suddenly stacked with senior and high-profile options in his position.

Barcelona, though, are not walking away from the player’s talent. Inside the club, there is still strong belief in his long-term ceiling. That is shaping the structure of the deal they are chasing.

The plan on the table from Barça’s side is a permanent sale with strings attached: retain future control, keep a buy-back clause, and park the player elsewhere while he develops. From the club’s perspective, it protects both their sporting interests and their balance sheet.

Bardghji sees it differently. Unsurprisingly, he would rather leave on loan, keep a formal link to Barcelona, and avoid the feeling of being cashed out on after just one season.

Two visions, one clock ticking.

Ajax watching, but with conditions

Among the clubs circling, Ajax stand out. Their interest in Bardghji is real, but not unconditional.

In Amsterdam, the domino that matters is Mika Godts. Paris Saint-Germain are pushing hard to sign the Ajax winger, and talks are ongoing. If Godts moves to the reigning UEFA Champions League holders, Ajax will need a replacement with upside, someone who can step straight into a wide role and grow in their attacking system.

That is where Bardghji comes in.

Ajax are prepared to explore a move for the Barcelona winger if Godts departs. If PSG complete the deal, Bardghji becomes a serious option. If they do not, the Dutch club’s need – and likely their appetite – drops.

For the player, Ajax offers something Barcelona currently cannot: a realistic shot at regular football in a league that has long served as a launchpad for young attackers.

Flick impressed, but the hierarchy is brutal

There is a twist to all this. On the pitch, Bardghji has not shrunk.

Under Hansi Flick in pre-season, the Swede has impressed. His performances have carried enough weight to make a case for staying, at least on sporting merit. He has shown sharp touches, intelligence between the lines, and the kind of bravery on the ball that first drew Barcelona to him.

Yet football at this level is rarely a simple meritocracy. The new signings reshape the pecking order. Investment demands minutes, reputations demand starts, and even a strong pre-season can be swallowed whole by the reality of a packed squad.

For Bardghji, the path to regular action in Barcelona colours looks blocked, no matter how well he trains.

Three weeks to resolve a career crossroads

With just over three weeks left in the window, Barcelona need to move. Outgoings have dragged all summer, and the club know they must accelerate on the departures front to balance the squad and the accounts.

Bardghji sits right at the intersection of those needs: a player they like, a profile others want, and a situation that cannot drift into October unresolved.

Loan or sale. Buy-back clause or clean break. Ajax or another suitor. For Roony Bardghji, the next few weeks will not just define his season.

They may decide whether Barcelona ever see him again in their shirt, or only as the one that got away.