Matheus Moscardo says he is pleased his proposed move to Barcelona did not happen, believing regular first-team football at Corinthians helped his development before he joined Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian midfielder, now 21, attracted interest from several leading European clubs after making his Corinthians debut at the age of 17. Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Barcelona were among those monitoring his progress.
Chelsea had been involved in negotiations in summer 2023, but their pursuit slowed. Barcelona sporting director Deco then became interested in Moscardo, having followed him since his time in the Corinthians academy.
The move to Barcelona ultimately failed to materialise, with Paris Saint-Germain signing Moscardo for 20 million euros in January 2024.
Moscardo told Sport that Corinthians’ position over his valuation prevented the transfer. He recalled that his father met Deco in Switzerland while Moscardo was still playing for the club’s Under-20 side.
“When I was in the U20 team, we were at a tournament in Switzerland, and my father met with Deco. At that time, Corinthians set their asking price for me,” he said.
Deco also wanted to assess Moscardo at senior level, but the midfielder did not make his professional debut until July 2023.
“After I started playing for the first team, things changed. Corinthians was very firm about their price, so the deal didn’t progress,” Moscardo said.
Despite missing out on Barcelona, Moscardo does not view the outcome negatively. He believes remaining in Brazil gave him the opportunity to play more matches and establish himself in professional football in his home city.
“I’m glad that move didn’t happen, because I was able to play more games for Corinthians, play professional football in my hometown, and then got the opportunity to join Paris Saint-Germain. When that chance came, I didn’t hesitate and signed immediately,” he said.
Moscardo is now at Espanyol on loan as he seeks further experience in European football. He previously had loan spells at Reims and Braga, and hopes his progress can eventually lead to a place in Luis Enrique’s Barcelona squad.
He is particularly keen to face Barcelona in the derby on January 3, when he will make his first appearance in the fixture for Espanyol.
“I’m really looking forward to this derby and playing for Espanyol. What I want most is to play well and beat Barcelona in this match. I know how important it is for the fans and the club, and we will give everything on January 3,” he said.
Moscardo added that his motivation is to deliver victory for Espanyol rather than settle any personal score with Deco.
“We can win; they are a good team, but so are we. I want to win for Espanyol and its fans, not to prove Deco wrong for not signing me,” he said.
