According to Sport, Moscardo has revealed why he didn't join Barcelona and is now playing for Espanyol.

Moscardo is a rising Brazilian star who caught the attention of Deco years ago. He made his debut with Corinthians at 17, quickly attracting interest from European giants including Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Barcelona.

In summer 2023, Chelsea slowed down negotiations that had been progressing well. Barcelona's sporting director Deco then intervened, reportedly impressed with the Brazilian talent after monitoring him since his time in Corinthians' youth academy. However, the transfer never materialized, and Paris Saint-Germain eventually signed Moscardo for 20 million euros in January 2024.

Moscardo told Sport that Corinthians' firm negotiating stance prevented his move to Barcelona. Now, he has joined Espanyol on loan to gain more experience in European football, hoping to eventually become part of Luis Enrique's Barcelona squad.

Moscardo explained that in 2023, while still with Corinthians' U20 team, his father met with Deco in Switzerland: "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."

Deco also wanted to see Moscardo play at professional level first, which didn't happen until July that year. Moscardo said: "After I started playing for the first team, things changed. Corinthians was very firm about their price, so the deal didn't progress."

However, Moscardo holds no regrets about missing out on Barcelona. He stated: "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."

Now 21, Moscardo is hoping to succeed at Espanyol after loan spells at Reims and Braga. He is also eager for the upcoming derby against Barcelona on January 3: "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."

Moscardo concluded: "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."

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