Barcelona's Winger Dilemma: Roony Bardghji's Future in Jeopardy

Barcelona’s wide revolution has claimed its first casualty.

With Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi walking through the door this summer to join Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, the wings at Barça are no longer an area of concern but a traffic jam. Somewhere in the middle of that congestion stands Roony Bardghji, the highly rated Swede who arrived last year billed as Yamal’s understudy and future partner.

That future is on hold. Or more likely, it’s heading elsewhere.

Winger department overloaded

Hansi Flick now has four frontline options for two positions, and all of them expect serious minutes. Gordon brings Premier League intensity, Adeyemi adds blistering pace and verticality, Raphinha has the seniority, and Yamal is the jewel the club will build around.

Bardghji, who already struggled for game time last season, can see the writing on the wall. If minutes were scarce before, they now look almost unreachable.

So the conversation changed. From “how do we integrate him?” to “how do we protect his value?”

Exit plan agreed

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Bardghji have reached a clear decision: they will work on a move before the transfer window closes. Not a vague possibility. A plan.

Bardghji will leave this summer.

The 19-year-old wants what every ambitious winger wants at this stage of his career – a pitch, a run of games, and the chance to make mistakes without wondering when the next appearance will come. He knows that won’t happen regularly at Montjuïc with this level of competition ahead of him.

Barcelona, though, are not cutting ties emotionally or strategically. Inside the club, belief in his talent remains intact. They see him as an asset worth keeping within reach, even if he spends the next chapter in a different shirt.

The preferred formula from the boardroom is a sale with a buy-back clause, a model they have leaned on in recent years to keep future control without blocking the present squad. Bardghji, for his part, would rather a straight loan – a temporary escape, not a goodbye.

Two logics, one outcome: he needs to play.

Ajax watching, but with conditions

One of the clubs keeping a close eye on the situation is Ajax. The Dutch side have monitored Bardghji and view him as a serious option, but only if another domino falls.

PSG are pushing hard to sign Ajax winger Mika Godts, with talks ongoing. If Godts heads to the reigning UEFA Champions League holders, Ajax will move to replace him. Bardghji is on that shortlist.

The Eredivisie, with its emphasis on attacking football and youth development, would suit his profile. Open games, space to attack, patience for young talent. It’s the kind of environment that can turn promise into product.

Flick impressed, reality intrudes

The irony for Bardghji is that he has not failed this pre-season. Quite the opposite. He has reportedly impressed Flick, showing enough in training and friendlies to make a case that he can contribute now.

But admiration doesn’t change the depth chart. With Gordon and Adeyemi arriving to compete with Raphinha and Yamal, the pathway narrows again. Flick may like what he sees, yet he cannot promise the one thing Bardghji craves: regular, meaningful minutes.

So Barcelona move into the final stretch of the window with a clear task. They have strengthened the wings, now they must clean up the consequences. Departures have lagged behind arrivals all summer; Bardghji’s situation is one of the first big tests of how decisively the club can act.

Sell with a safety net? Loan with a view to reintegration? Or does another club spot an opportunity and push for something more permanent?

Three weeks remain. For Roony Bardghji, that’s the difference between being buried in a depth chart and finally stepping into a season that belongs to him.