Riqui Puig is close to resolving once and for all his situation at FC Barcelona, the club where he was trained, climbed to the first team and fell into total ostracism, without the support of the fans, the board or his teammates. The reason not only has to do with his poor sports performance, but also with his attitude. "Ansu (Fati) is dressed in the club's clothes and Riqui in Gucci," says a club employee in statements collected by El País. About to make his departure to the Los Angeles Galaxy official, he will not help to clean up his image either because of his latest controversy: a leaked audio in which he criticizes Ferran Torres and his signing for Barça.
"Ferran Torres? Guardiola didn't even want it. Last year he played 12 games", is clearly heard in the recording of a conversation that, according to Mundo Deportivo, he had with some classmates from driving school. In that same audio he also refers to two alleged offers that he had from Chelsea and Milan. "I am very well here, in Barcelona. They pay you double there, but then you are alone", he confesses.
Whether the two proposals from the London club and the Milan player are real or not, the truth is that Riqui Puig is about to make his move to the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS official. There he will share a dressing room with familiar faces from the elite of European football such as 'Chicharito' Hernández or Douglas Costa. At 22 years old, the Barça youth squad chooses to cut his progression at the highest continental level and cross the pond to be part of the less competitive American league. Last Wednesday he no longer exercised with Barça and has permission from the club to be absent while he closes the final fringes of his departure.
Xavi Hernández breathes a sigh of relief because he is about to leave behind one of the headaches that worried him in this transfer market. For his part, Riqui Puig will leave after not having convinced any of the four coaches he had since he made the jump to the first team: Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setién, Ronald Koeman and Xavi. According to those who know him and accompanied him during his promotion through the lower categories of the club, his attitude has always been problematic.
