Official: Barcelona’s reunion dream fails as brother of new signing chooses different club

Rayan Bardghji, the younger brother of Roony Bardghji, will not be joining Barcelona as previously expected, as despite plans within the club to sign both brothers, the younger brother has taken a different path.

Last week, Roony Bardghji’s signing was made official, with the talented Swedish winger agreeing to a four-year deal with Barça Atletic. 

Although he will start with the reserve team, his day-to-day involvement will be closely linked to the first-team setup under Hansi Flick. 

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco pushed hard for Roony’s arrival, securing a player who had attracted attention from several top European clubs, even after a serious injury that sidelined him last season.

Rayan chooses Nordsjælland

Initially, Barcelona also wanted to sign Rayan Bardghji to reunite him with his brother at the club. The idea was to wait until November, when Rayan turns 16, allowing Barça to legally offer him his first professional contract. 

FC Nordsjælland henter Rayan Bardghji ✍️🐯

❝Jeg har kendt FC Nordsjælland længe for den talentudvikling, der er her, og den glæder jeg mig til at blive en del af. For jeg føler, at jeg har de bedste muligheder for at udvikle mig som spiller her.❞

🔗 https://t.co/zWgEaiHCjWpic.twitter.com/C1KJWVEDua

— FC Nordsjælland 🐯 (@FCNordsjaelland) July 22, 2025

The plan was part of the club’s broader project to invest in young talent, and the Bardghji brothers were seen as key pieces of that strategy.

However, the situation has changed dramatically. Rayan has now signed for FC Nordsjælland, a club well-known for giving young players early opportunities in first-team football. 

“FC Nordsjælland has made an agreement with 15-year-old Rayan Bardghji, who most recently played for FC Copenhagen,” read a statement from the Danish club.

“It feels really good to be here, and I’m very excited,” said the youngster after signing for his new team.

Meanwhile, it must be noted that Barça made an offer and had hoped to complete the double signing, but Rayan has chosen the option that gives him the quickest route to regular playing time.