Barcelona's Next Wonderkid? Meet Roony Bardghji - The Swedish Messi

A legendary Football Manager wonderkid, long touted to be the figurehead for a generation of new electric wingers, FC Copenhagen’s 19-year-old starlet Roony Bardghji has finally announced himself on Europe’s biggest stage, with his move to FC Barcelona to be announced imminently.

🔵🔴 Roony Bardghji will complete his move to Barcelona this week as FC Copenhagen and Barça have exchanged all documents/paperwork.

Medical set to take place next. pic.twitter.com/a0XIGem6OZ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 30, 2025

Brought for just €2 Million by the Catalan giants, Bardghji represents a low risk investment - should he deliver on the enormous talent that he has long been tagged with, the move will turn out to be the bargain of the century - if he flops, then he was only €2 Million anyway.

But who is Roony Bardghji? What are Barcelona getting from the winger labelled “The Swedish Messi”? And will he ever fulfil his considerable potential?

Who is Roony Bardghji?

Bardghji's career has been one to watch since his early childhood. Born Kuwait to Syrian parents, he and his family relocated to Sweden when he was six years old, and it soon became clear that he had a bright future with a ball at his feet. He had spells at Kallinge SK, Rodeby AIF, Malmo, before eventually settling in at arguably Denmark's biggest side in FC Copenhagen.

Making his senior debut for the club at the tender age of 16, Bardghji’s name quickly became a familiar one to football fans across Europe. A right winger by trade, but capable of playing anywhere across the front line, his explosive pace and excellent one on one ability saw him thrive in the Danish Superligaen.

Barcelona in particular benefitted from him starting in the senior squad at such a young age - they first scouted him in 2022, and as a result have had a full three years to become familiar with the player before making a move for him.

And what a player they are getting - Bardghji already has 15 Copenhagen goals, including a winner against Manchester United in the Champions League last season, while his CV also boasts three league titles and two domestic cups in his short professional career.

Roony Bardghji vs Manchester United

32 Minutes Played pic.twitter.com/oEUt8EliWk

— ~ (@xavipropp) November 8, 2023

However, they may also be purchasing an injury prone player - in the summer of 2024, just as European interest in the Swede was peaking across Europe, Bardghji suffered a catastrophic Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, one which kept him out of the team for the best part of 11 months.

He has played just six games in 2025, and just two from the start, 143 minutes in total. No goals and no assists - but in his defence, that sort of form is to be expected from someone who had to forgo almost an entire year of their fledgling career.

So what can Barca expect from their new signing? Is there a way he can displace the inimitable Lamine Yamal on the right hand side?

What are Barcelona getting?

Firstly, and most importantly, they are welcoming a player who thrives on confidence - Bardghji is never afraid to stand up to a defender in a one on one scenario, and thanks to his burst of pace, which was mercilessly spared by the ACL injury, he come out of this situations with the ball more often than not.

Roony Bardghji with the panenka at 17 years old as the deciding kick in a penalty shootout in a Champions League qualifier btw 👍 https://t.co/NX902QhKwY pic.twitter.com/xNUt4F2m24

— Simon (@cfcsimse) June 24, 2025

He is also an elite dribbler - in the 2023/24 season, Bardghji boasted a dribble success rate of 55.3% - as a reference point, world renowned La Liga wingers Vinicius Junior and Nico Williams were only successful 46.3% and 39.5% of the time respectively. While Bardghji may be producing these figures in a vastly inferior league, there is no denying that for a teenager, these numbers are special.

Thanks to his high dribble success rate, Bardghji became the primary attacking outlet for Copenhagen during his time there. His direct running, and willingness to take on an opponent meant that he dragged his team into the opposing box before teeing up one of his cohorts.

And this is exactly where he thrives - though he may only have one career assist, that particular stat can be blamed on a lack of clinical finishing rather than a lack of creativity on the Swede’s end.

Roony Bardghji. Remember the name. pic.twitter.com/dCHHoB1Wj8

— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) November 8, 2023

In 2023/24, he was in the top 7% for cross accuracy (44.4%), top 9% for cross completed (16), and top 20% for chances created (26) - looking at those stats, it is remarkable to think that his last senior assist came in the 2023/24 season.

His left boot can act as both a sledgehammer and as a wand - a trait which is so useful when shaping to shoot. If an opposing goalkeeper cannot predict how you are going to strike the ball, making a save becomes just that little bit harder, meaning Bardghji has the potential to be an absolute menace in front of goal.

Roony Bardghjii with a 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗢𝗟𝗧 🚀🔥

The 19-year-old winger from Copenhagen is reportedly on his way to Barcelona 📰

Bardghji is born in 🇰🇼 to a 🇸🇾 family, plays in 🇩🇰 and represents 🇸🇪 at youth level ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/aGjCoEWMKw

— 433 (@433) June 23, 2025

Sometimes, like other renowned playmakers such as Cole Palmer and Mo Salah, he can be rightly accused of trying to do too much, and as a result losing the ball or making the wrong choice. However, at the age of 19, this is much easier to coach out a player than for someone in their mid-twenties, and it is something that will improve as Bardghji matures.

What Will His Role Be At Barcelona?

It seems wrong to say this, but here we go. 19-year-old Roony Bardghi will have to oust someone two years his junior if he is to break into the Barcelona first eleven. Lamine Yamal’s remarkable emergence for Spanish champions has seen him grow into something of a deity, and given the ridiculously high level of his performances, he is impossible to bench right now.

Barca having Yamal and Bardghji should be illegal https://t.co/WeDtSAq9h6

— Alex | Haymanager (@HaymanagerAlex) June 23, 2025

In his first season at the club, Bardghji will likely take on a rotational role as he gets to know the club, his teammates, and his standing in the squad. Barring injury, Yamal will maintain his role in big games in 2025/26, with Bardghji being given the occasional look in against bottom-half sides and cup games.

There are plenty of positives to this approach - it means that the tennager is not immediately put under pressure to perform, allowing him some breathing room and time to develop and mature into the player Barcelona clearly think he can be.

He may be far from the finished article, and he is returning from the worst injury a footballer can suffer, but make no mistake about it - Roony Bardghji is a fantastic signing for Barcelona and an elite talent, and it would foolish to think otherwise.