Former Espanyol midfielder explains why he rejected a move to Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been looking for good midfielders in the market for the last few years. Last year, the Catalans were able to significantly strengthen their midfield with the arrival of one of the best midfielders at that time, Ilkay Gundogan.

However, the Manchester City player was not the only one that was being considered by the Catalan club at that time, as Xavi Hernandez had his eyes set on another low-profile option from La Liga, the RCD Espanyol midfielder, Sergi Darder.

Darder was the captain of Barcelona’s local rivals, who had been relegated in 2023, and thus, signing him would not have been too difficult for the Blaguranes.

However, this move ultimately did not materialize, and as Mundo Deportivo has reported, the midfielder himself has recalled the time when he was being linked with Barcelona in a recent interview:

“At that moment, you obviously listen. When Barça calls, you go through a few tough days. Not because you have doubts, but because you think, ‘The problem is that everything that comes after that will seem worse.’ When a team of that level calls, everything else just feels lesser in comparison.”

Darder went on to highlight the exact reason why he did not join Barcelona in 2023:

“Out of respect for Espanyol. That’s why it hurts me so much to have left on bad terms and not be appreciated for not going to Barça. I did it purely out of respect for Espanyol. Surely, others in my situation would have gone to Barça.”

Xavi was the driving force behind pursuing the signing of Sergi Darder for Barcelona, and the current Mallorca midfielder also opened up about his relationship with the former Blaugrana coach:

“These are situations where you run into each other because of kids, in different places, and from there, you just have the same interaction you would with any footballer or coach you see. Since our kids go to the same school, you see them from time to time and, ‘I want to call you.’ You talk, and there’s no problem, but those are conversations you keep to yourself.”

One can only imagine how such a transfer would have panned out as Barcelona already had a well-stacked midfielder in the 2023-24 season with the likes of Oriol Romeu, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Ilkay Gundogan, and Fermin Lopez all vying for minutes. But there is no doubt that a player of Darder’s quality would have provided Xavi with another option to choose from in the midfield.