A top MLS heavyweight has completed a major winter coup after securing an agreement with a talented Barcelona defender.
Barcelona face yet another blow to their youth setup after Pedro Fernandez Dro’s impending PSG switch, with this latest exit underscoring the challenges of retaining top academy prospects amid limited first-team pathways.
St. Louis City, eager to bolster its defensive ranks, has moved decisively to secure the deal ahead of interest from European second-tier clubs.
That defender is 23-year-old Senegalese centre-back Mamadou Mbacke Fall, signed permanently by Barça for €2 million in 2024 after stints with LA Galaxy, LAFC, and Villarreal’s reserves.
Despite 60 appearances for Barcelona Atlètic in Spain’s fourth tier, Mbacke struggled to break into Hansi Flick’s senior setup, blocked by stars like Pau Cubarsí, Ronald Araujo, and Inigo Martínez.
Diario Sport reports he has passed his medical in Barcelona, with an announcement imminent and Barcelona set to recoup a nominal fee on their investment.
At St. Louis City SC, Mbacke could form a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back Fallou Fall—prompting fan excitement over a potential “Fall-Fall” duo—while competing with Timo Baumgartl, Joshua Yaro, and Kyle Hiebert.
The club, captained by ex-Borussia Dortmund keeper Roman Bürki and now led by new head coach Yoann Damet, aims to rebound after missing the 2025 MLS playoffs.
Mbacke’s prior MLS pedigree, where he shone as a standout young defender with LAFC in 2021, makes him a natural fit for their rebuild.
For Barcelona, the sale represents pragmatic housekeeping amid a defensive logjam and financial pressures, though it risks further depleting La Masia talent following Dro’s €6 million exit.
Mbacke, omitted from Barça Atlètic’s latest roster, sought regular senior minutes unavailable at the Camp Nou.
St. Louis’ persistence paid off against rival MLS suitors, positioning them to harness his physicality and ball-playing ability in a league he knows well.
The move marks a full-circle return to American soccer, potentially paving the way for future European ambitions.
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