“Embryonic negotiations”… Deco breaks his silence with rare, breathtaking statements

Barcelona sporting director Deco has confirmed in a rare statement where he revealed some of the scenes of the summer transfer market that the Catalan administration is seriously working to strengthen the team’s ranks with some quality deals, noting that negotiations are still at an early stage and have not yet reached the stage of direct negotiations with clubs.

Deco’s comments came after he returned from the British capital London on Tuesday night, where he spent two days on a scouting mission with technical assistant Bojan Krkic to discuss the possibility of including English Premier League players.

Frank confession

The Brazilian sporting director began his speech in a matter-of-fact tone, saying: “Ultimately we need to get some players and that’s why we are working on it,” clearly hinting at German coach Hans Flick’s desire to strengthen the squad in preparation for the 2025-2026 season.

João Pedro

When faced with a direct question about Barcelona’s interest in Chelsea’s Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, Deco was cautious in his response, stressing that the deal was still in its infancy.

He said very carefully. “At the moment we cannot make any announcement. There are many players whose representatives we are in contact with to find out what will happen. We haven’t spoken to the clubs yet… We’re still working on it.”

But Deco did not deny personal knowledge of the Brazilian player’s entourage, adding: “I know those close to Joao Pedro well, but that’s not the problem,” possibly indicating that the real obstacle may be financial or related to Chelsea’s position.

Alvarez

As for the possibility of signing Argentinian star Julian Alvarez from arch-rivals Atletico Madrid, Deco opted for total ambiguity, settling for a curt “we’ll see” without confirming or denying any contact.

Notably, 2022 World Cup champion Alvarez has recently hinted at his desire to leave Atletico, which has opened the door to widespread speculation about his next destination, especially with interest from several major European clubs.

Complete silence on Rashford’s future

On the other hand, the Brazilian sporting director refused to comment categorically on the future of Englishman Marcus Rashford, who is on loan from Manchester United, whose loan expires at the end of next June.

Deco did not reveal whether the Barcelona board were considering making the deal permanent or whether the player would return to his original club, a silence which could reflect either indecision or a desire not to reveal the cards early.

The flick requires qualitative amplification

Deco’s moves in the transfer market come in response to German coach Hans Flick looking to strengthen several positions in the squad, particularly in attack, after a season that saw fluctuating performances and an early exit from the Champions League.