Who is Roony Bardghji? The Leeds United target who endured 15-hour cross-border days and has world's best goal

Leeds United have been credited with an interest in signing Roony Bardghji this summer, in what would be an exciting capture for Daniel Farke.

The 21-year-old winger only joined La Liga giants Barcelona last summer from Danish outfit FC Copenhagen, but found the going a little bit tougher than he would've liked during his debut 2025-26 season.

Indeed, the Sweden international made just 28 total appearances for Barcelona in all competitions last term, scoring twice and providing four assists.

Bardghji was actually born in Kuwait to an Assyrian family, but he and his mother moved to Kallinge in Sweden when he was six, and later acquired Swedish citizenship.

He was only able to score once and provide one assist from 21 La Liga games last term, and started just seven of those league outings.

Speculation is mounting that he could be ready to quit Catalonia this summer, with Leeds being credited alongside numerous Premier League sides across a host of transfer reports, but who is he?

Roony Bardghji proved his commitment to footballing stardom as a teenager

As aforementioned, Bardghji was born in and grew up in Kuwait, before he and his mother moved to Sweden when he was six with his father being forced to initially stay behind.

Bardghji soon joined local youth teams after the move, playing for the likes of Kallinge SK and one of Sweden's biggest clubs, Malmo FF.

Detailed in a 2024 report from The Athletic, he signed for Copenhagen on his 15th birthday, but his family opted to remain living in Sweden.

This meant that Bardghji had to get used to undertaking 15-hour cross-border days, waking up at 5.30am and not getting home until 8.30pm in the evening.

However, this routine undoubtedly enabled the then-teenager to mature much faster than many average children his age, and helped prove to his family and clubs that he was serious about making something out of his talent with a ball at his feet.

Bardghji also says in this same interview that his mother called him Roony as a "lucky name", and one that isn't related to Wayne Rooney in any form.

Bardghji's Champions League night that put him on the map

In his third season as a regular member of Copenhagen's senior squad, Bardghji and his team welcomed Manchester United to Denmark for a Champions League clash in November 2023.

Still only 17 at the time, he had started the game on Copenhagen's bench, but was sent on with 63 minutes on the clock with the scores level at 2-2.

Fast-forward to the 86th minute, and the scoreline read 3-3, but by the time 87 minutes were on the clock, Bardghji had catapulted his name into headlines across the footballing world.

He would smash a left-footed half-volley into the ground and past United keeper Andre Onana to hand Copenhagen a memorable win over the Red Devils.

From that point forward, Bardghji's name, talent and potential was no longer relatively confined to the Danish capital, and set him on course for his eventual transfer to Barcelona less than two years later.

At the end of that same season, however, Bardghji would suffer a devastating ACL tear in May 2024 that sidelined him for the best part of 12 months.

Why Leeds United may be a stepping stone for Bardghji

Should Bardghji reach his potential, we've already seen the level where he can expect to be playing his football in the prime years of his career given he's a Barcelona player.

If that is to be the case for him, however, then he may need to take a relative step backwards to eventually start moving forwards again in his career.

Not to say that a move to Leeds would be a step back in many respects, but leaving the Camp Nou for Elland Road after just one season wouldn't have been in his thinking upon signing for Barca last summer.

Still, Bardghji does have plenty of time to reach his ambitious goal of being the best player in the world by 2029, as he revealed in that aforementioned interview with The Athletic.

“Well, I wish to become the best player in the world,” Bardghji said at the time.

“Of course, playing in the biggest leagues, playing for one of the biggest teams… but being the best player in the world. That’s my biggest goal.

“That’s what I’m working towards every day, reaching my goal in five years… If you’re dreaming, dream big.”