Yassir Zabiri is scoring for Racing and his old Barcelona dream is back

Five goals in five LaLiga matches have brought Yassir Zabiri into the spotlight. They have also revived an old quote about his ambition to play for Barcelona.

The two parts of the story are genuine, but they did not happen at the same time. Zabiri discussed his Barcelona dream in November 2025. His goals for Racing Santander are being scored now. There is no confirmed offer, negotiation or current approach from the Catalan club.

FIVE GOALS IN FIVE MATCHES

Zabiri has made an outstanding start since joining Racing on loan from Stade Rennais. The Moroccan striker has scored five times in his opening five LaLiga appearances.

His latest contribution was a match-winning brace against Deportivo Alavés. Racing fell behind to a Ville Koski goal, but Zabiri equalised before half-time after running onto an excellent pass from Íñigo Vicente. He struck again in the 53rd minute, finishing from close range to complete a 2-1 comeback.

The goals delivered Racing’s second victory of the season and took Zabiri halfway towards the target he announced at his August presentation. He said he wanted to score at least ten times. Five rounds into the campaign, he is already moving rather quickly through that assignment.

THE BARCELONA QUOTE IS FROM 2025

Zabiri spoke about Barcelona during an interview with beIN Sports after the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He said playing for the club was his dream and recalled attending a match during the era of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez.

The forward also made his immediate priorities clear. He wanted to focus on his club, score as many goals as possible and continue working towards an ambition he admitted was still distant.

That context matters. Zabiri did not make a new appeal to Barcelona after scoring against Alavés. His current form has simply encouraged the Spanish and Catalan media to bring back a quote given ten months ago.

NO OFFER AND NO NEGOTIATIONS

There is currently no reliable evidence that Barcelona are attempting to sign Zabiri. No offer has been reported, and there is no confirmed contact with Rennes, Racing or the player’s representatives.

The forward remains under contract with Rennes and is spending the season on loan in Santander. His next LaLiga appearance could nevertheless take him directly to Barcelona, as Racing are scheduled to visit Camp Nou on September 16.

For now, that match is the only confirmed Barcelona appointment in Zabiri’s calendar. If he wants to attract more attention, he will have an opportunity to do it on the pitch rather than through recycled transfer headlines.

A FAMILIAR BARCELONA STORY

The formula is well known. A young player starts scoring, an old comment about watching Messi reappears, and suddenly his career begins pointing towards Barcelona—at least in the headlines. An actual approach from the club can apparently be added at some later stage.

Zabiri does not need that treatment to make his story interesting. Five goals in five games and a decisive brace against Alavés are enough. He is one of LaLiga’s most effective forwards at the start of the season and has earned attention through his performances.

The Barcelona dream is real. The suggestion that anything is currently happening about it is not.