Barcelona's Summer Star Fires Back: "I've Been Committed From Day One" Amid Exit Rumors
Roony Bardghji continues to insist that he will be permitted to feature for Barcelona's senior squad this campaign, as was originally planned, despite significant uncertainty surrounding how this commitment will be honored.
In what has developed into an unwelcome yearly ritual, Barcelona dedicated much of the transfer window worrying not about which talents to acquire, but rather how they would manage to ensure those new additions could actually represent the team.
Following some characteristic financial maneuvering and an unpleasant public disagreement with club skipper Marc-André ter Stegen, the Spanish powerhouse created space within their rigid wage structure to register both Marcus Rashford and Joan García. Room was ultimately found for Gerard Martín and Wojciech Szczeşny as well, though Roony Bardghji's situation remains clouded in doubt.
The €2 million ($2.4 million) acquisition from FC Copenhagen has yet to be officially registered with the senior team. There was anticipation that the 19-year-old would be listed in the Barcelona Atlétic squad, the club's reserve side that suffered relegation to Spain's fourth division last term. However, the organization revealed their roster for the 2025–26 season on Thursday with Roony notably absent.
Indeed, an official announcement stated that the youngster would "participate in first-team activities" and don the No. 21 jersey. Nevertheless, at present, Roony is missing from La Liga's authorized player registry and therefore cannot compete in Spain's premier division. Hansi Flick did name the summer signing in Barcelona's Champions League roster, though he must still receive domestic registration before European participation.
Roony, meanwhile, maintains his conviction that he will represent the main team this season. "I don't believe I would have joined Barcelona if it meant playing for the academy," he explained to journalists following his Sweden U21 call-up. "I've appeared in over 100 matches for a senior team and wouldn't have agreed to join a reserve squad. That's something they fabricated. It's false."
What remains accurate is that Barcelona are exhausting legal methods to get Roony onto the field. Following his unexpected omission from the B team roster, it seems the leadership must personally guarantee his registration by risking their own finances. This was the strategy employed to secure Rashford's eligibility for the season opener.
"From day one, both the organization and myself understood the intention was first-team involvement," Roony stated matter-of-factly. "Regarding everything that's been reported, none of it is accurate. It hasn't bothered me because they've encountered registration difficulties previously."