La Masia talent leaves for MLS with World Cup dream – report | OneFootball

According to a recent report from SPORT, Barcelona youth defender Mamadou Mbacke is set to leave the club and return to the United States to continue his career in Major League Soccer.

The decision has already been reflected on the pitch, as Mbacke was not included in the squad for Barça Atletic’s most recent match against Andratx. 

The outlet mentions that the Senegalese centre-back has now signed for St. Louis City SC, who compete in the top tier of American football.

Barcelona originally signed Mbacke from Los Angeles FC, meaning the move represents a return to the country where he developed and made his name as a young defender. 

A good move for Barcelona

From Barcelona’s perspective, the timing of the move is important, as Mbacke’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season, which would have seen him leave on a free transfer. 

Instead, Barça will now recover part of the investment made in the summer of 2024, when they paid around €2 million to bring him in. 

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This outcome offers a financial boost and, more importantly, creates additional room within La Liga’s financial fair play limits.

That extra flexibility also gives Barcelona greater economic breathing space as they look to strengthen the squad during the winter transfer window. 

While the sum involved may not be huge, every adjustment matters for a club carefully managing its salary cap and transfer strategy.

For Mbacke, the move is driven by sporting ambition rather than money. This is because his salary in MLS will be broadly similar to what he earned at Barça. 

Notably, the defender’s priority is to play for the Senegal national team and push for a place at next summer’s World Cup.

Mbacke has never been capped by the senior side, and he believes regular top-flight football in MLS will give him a better platform to achieve that dream than continuing with Barça Atletic.