Barcelona were in the market for multiple midfielders during the summer transfer window. They ended up signing Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu from Manchester City and Girona respectively, although they did try to sign others.
Sergi Darder was one of the players that Barcelona were linked with. The highly-rated midfielder was expected to leave Espanyol – Barcelona’s city rivals – following their relegation, and he had multiple clubs interested in securing his signature.
In the end, Darder joined Mallorca. However, in an interview with Catalunya Radio (via Marca), he revealed that he was a possibility for him to join Barcelona.
“I have rejected offers from rival teams to Espanyol so as not to hurt them. These offers would have been much more interesting for me in sporting and economical terms.
“When you get an offer from Barcelona, even if you are from Espanyol or Real Madrid, you get nervous and you consider it, but when you think about it coldly you say that it’s impossible. I wish it were another team that played in the Champions League and aspired to win La Liga.
“Out of respect for Espanyol I said no (to Barcelona), although I intended to leave the club. I would understand if other people did it.”
It would have been a controversial move for Darder to swap Espanyol for Barcelona, although it matters little now as it did not come off. However, it does show the loyalty that Darder had for his former club.
