Barca officially promoted Roy Bardghji to the first team and gave him Messi's iconic shirt number.
The Camp Nou club has confirmed the official registration of young talent Roony Bardghji and is preparing to finalize the signing of Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal.
Ahead of the highly anticipated Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, Barcelona has taken a significant personnel step. The Catalan club confirmed that young talent Roony Bardghji has been officially promoted to the first team on a permanent basis, ending his time playing in the reserve team due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Roony Bardghji and his turning point in the first team.
The 20-year-old Swedish player joined Barcelona from Copenhagen in the summer for a fee of €2.5 million. Although he has made 14 appearances under coach Hansi Flick since the start of the season, this official registration truly unlocks his potential. Previously, Bardghji was required to be registered to play for Barca Atlètic (the B team), which significantly limited the coaching staff's options.
After being officially promoted, coach Hansi Flick will have the full right to call up Bardghji in every match without any legal obstacles. This is seen as a timely addition as Barca enters the most intense phase of the season.
The legacy of the number 19 jersey.
Promotion to the first team also brought about a symbolic change in shirt numbers. According to La Liga regulations, first-team players must wear numbers from 1 to 25. Bardghji decided to give up his old number 28 and choose number 19 – the number he had used during the pre-season.
Notably, the number 19 jersey holds significant historical meaning at Camp Nou. It's the number worn by legendary Lionel Messi during his early years with the Barcelona first team. More recently, this number was worn by young talent Lamine Yamal before he switched to the legendary number 10.
Joao Cancelo is preparing to return to Camp Nou.
Alongside stabilizing their existing squad, Barcelona are very close to securing their first new signing of the January transfer window. Joao Cancelo, the defender currently playing for Al-Hilal, has been confirmed as the next name to join Hansi Flick's team.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the deal will be a loan. Notably, the Catalan club will only have to pay a small portion of the player's very high salary in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona is expected to officially announce Cancelo's signing immediately after the Spanish Super Cup final this coming Sunday.
