18-year-old Champions League starlet opens up on ‘dream’ transfer amid Man United interest

Manchester United faced up against 18-year-old starlet Roony Bardghji in the Champions League this season, and he made sure he was known.

Bardghji came off the bench in the game and was highlighted due to the similarity of his first name to the legendary United striker Wayne Rooney.

He, too, made a huge first impression in the Champions League to the United supporters, not in the same way as Rooney’s debut hat-trick for the club against Fenerbahçe.

Instead, Bardghji scored the winning goal against The Reds in a 4-3 game earlier this season which ended up being a major contributor to Erik ten Hag’s side being knocked out of Europe completely.

The Swedish youngster has caught major attention since then. He has scored 11 goals in 30 appearances so far this term. He has been linked to the likes of United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Whilst it seems unlikely that he will make a mid-season move this month, Bardghji has explained that it is a ‘dream’ to be signed by a big European club.

“It’s a dream, and it’s nice to hear because it means I’m doing well, but I try not to think too much about it,” he told Tipsblade. “Just a top-five league. It’s great to play in them.

“It’s hard to answer [what club he will join]. There hasn’t been any dialogue, but I’m here to develop, so I suppose that’s the plan for both parties – that I should continue to develop. At some point, I’ll be sold, but I’m not thinking about that now.

“It is, of course, special, but it’s not stressing me out. I take it as motivation every time I step onto the field. It motivates me to get better.

“As I’ve said before, I feel ready, but when the time is right – whether it’s now or later – I don’t know. The timing has to be right, but right now, I’m only focusing on getting in top form and playing football.

“The most important thing for me is the plan for me and my development. I need to feel comfortable with the coach, the club, and everything else. That’s the most important thing as a player.”