Gideon Mensah Opens Up on Botched Barcelona Move, Not Giving Up on Joining Spanish Giants

Gideon Mensah Opens Up on Botched Barcelona Move, Not Giving Up on Joining Spanish Giants

  • Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has shared the reason for his failed move to Barcelona in 2019
  • The Ghana international was close to joining the Catalans during his time with Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg
  • Mensah left Austria to France, where he has played for Girondins Bordeaux and AJ Auxerre since 2021

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Ghanaian left-back Gideon Mensah has disclosed why his move to Barcelona in 2019 fell through despite agreement between his representatives and the Spanish giants.

Mensah was supposed to join the Catalan giants as a back up for club legend Jordi Alba while growing through the ranks at Red Bull Salzburg.

The defender had caught the attention of the La Liga side after starring in the UEFA Youth Champions League with the Austrian giants.

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Gideon Mensah opens up on failed Barcelona move.
Gideon Mensah has disclosed why his move to Barcelona failed in 2019. Photo: Jean Catuffe.
Source: Getty Images

However, a confidentiality agreement between Mensah and the club broke leading to the cancellation of the move.

"Barcelona are trying to sign you. But it has to remain confidential," he said as he disclosed what his agent told him.
"I couldn't resist thinking about the next flight to Spain," he added in an interview with Flash Score.
“The next day I just saw the news everywhere in Ghana that Barcelona wants me. So, I called my agent and asked him what happened to not saying anything to anyone. The agent also said he doesn’t know how the news got out.”

Mensah holds onto Barca dreams

Despite failing to realise his move to the La Liga, Mensah is not giving up on a future adventure with the Catalans.

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“Nobody knows what's going to happen in the future. The opportunity to play for Barcelona can come back again,” Mensah added.

Although, he was left disappointed by the failed switch to Spain, the 26-year-old recovered from the setback and has since enjoyed a remarkable career in France.

Last season, he helped Auxerre secure promotion to the French Ligue 1 and was rewarded with a two-year contract extension, as reported by Ghana Soccernet.

His performances could lure Barcelona into having a second look at him despite Alejandro Balde's outstanding display for the club.

Mensah delivers skill of the week

Earlier, Yen.com.gh reported that Ghanaian left-back Gideon Mensah crowned an impressive display in Ligue 1 for AJ Auxerre with a lovely piece of skill in their game against Stade Rennais.

The Black Stars defender started and lasted the entire duration as Auxerred thrashed Rennais 4-0 at Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps.

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Mensah's performance raised eyebrows as he excited the home crowd with his lovely footwork. Read more:

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Lukman Mumuni avatar

Lukman Mumuni (Sports Editor) Lukman Abdul Mumin is a CAF-accredited Sports Journalist based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for the past eight years. Lukman has worked with some of Ghana's big media houses like GMA and was a regular pundit on GTV. He started his journalism career as a presenter and a writer after studying at the Gee Way Media School. Lukman has covered several international competitions including AFCON 2023. Email: lukmanevergreen2g15@gmail.com