Ronnie Bardaghi, a "new Messi" of Syrian origin, is close to joining Barcelona.

Spanish club Barcelona is close to signing Danish Ronny Bardaghi, of Syrian descent and born in Kuwait, the Copenhagen star nicknamed "the new Messi."

According to Spanish press reports, Barcelona's sporting director met with Bardaghi's agent last Thursday in Barcelona to discuss the possibility of signing Ronnie Bardaghi this summer rather than waiting until December, when his contract with the club expires.

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Who is Ronnie Bardaghi? Bardaghji's parents met in Aleppo, Syria, but the "new Messi" was born in Kuwait, where his father had moved for work. He slept with a football instead of other toys, he told The Athletic. His father also rented him a field when he was three years old to train on.

In 2012, Ronnie, his brother Ryan, and their mother traveled 3,500 miles to Kalinga in southern Sweden in search of a better future, where he learned the language in just three months.

At the age of 12, he caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur and had a trial with the team, impressing everyone by scoring three goals and providing two assists in his team's 6-1 win over Ipswich Town. He said of that: "It was a really great experience, to see the level of football outside of Sweden, to be at a big club like Tottenham, and to see how things are done there."

Ronnie Bardaghi is one of Europe's most promising young talents, having made a significant impact after scoring a stunning goal against Manchester United in the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, at just 17 years old.

However, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury that kept him out for a long period, before returning to action last March, with Barcelona's medical team confirming his full recovery.

The 19-year-old has attracted interest from major clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, and Bayer Leverkusen, making the deal a "golden market opportunity" for Barcelona, given his contractual status and low price relative to his talent.