According to Spanish media, Thomas Heurtel, 35, will join FC Barcelona in the coming hours. The Frenchman, who currently plays in China for the Shenzhen Leopards club, should make his return to Barça, a club he had already known between 2017 and 2021, announced Sports World et Mark.
The former French international (99 caps) will replace Brazilian leader Raulzinho Neto in the Blaugrana squad, whose departure was made official this Thursday. He is preparing to return to the Euroleague with the Catalan club, in difficulty this season (11th). He had not played in the most prestigious European Basketball competition since 2022, after signing for Zenit Saint Petersburg.
His two years spent in the Russian club notably deprived him of the French team, making him unselectable by the French Basketball Federation (FFBB). Heurtel could therefore potentially make his return to Blue, a hypothesis that new coach Frédéric Fauthoux did not rule out last September.
The playmaker left FC Barcelona in 2021 in a tense context after secretly negotiating a contract with Real Madrid. After the Catalan club terminated his contract, he finally joined Asvel for six months before signing with Real Madrid then Zenith Saint-Petersburg.
