Barcelona have hit again at Spanish media stories suggesting sporting director Deco is contemplating leaving the membership after a difficult summer transfer window.
Barça signed Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor this summer time however have been thwarted of their efforts to signal a left winger, a holding midfielder and a defender as a result of their continued monetary struggles.
Spanish sports activities newspaper Diario Sport reported on Sunday that these issues have led Deco, who solely took up his place final 12 months, to weigh up strolling away from the membership.
“We categorically deny the information that appeared on Sept. 1 in Diario Sport putting unsure the continuity of our sporting director,” Barça said in a statement.
“In response to the piece titled ‘Deco, disillusioned, meditating his future,’ the membership want to state that it couldn’t be happier with the job Deco is doing and refute this text that has appeared on the finish of the switch window.”
Deco additionally referred to the membership’s assertion when approached for remark by ESPN.
The previous Portugal worldwide stepped away from his work as an agent final 12 months to change into Barça’s sporting director, at first working alongside Mateu Alemany after which on his personal when Alemany left the membership final September.
Nevertheless, he has seen his efforts hampered by the membership’s troublesome monetary place.
Whereas Barça stay in extra of their annual spending restrict — all golf equipment in Spain are topic to a cap which is roughly decided by the distinction between a crew’s income minus non-sporting outgoings and debt repayments — they’ll solely spend a proportion of what they save in wages, elevate in switch charges or herald through new income streams.
Earlier than the summer time, LaLiga revealed Barça’s cap was simply over €200 million ($221m), with sources telling ESPN the Blaugrana’s squad prices have been round €400m.
Regardless of that, they nonetheless managed to signal Olmo from RB Leipzig for €55m, though monetary restrictions meant he missed the primary two video games of the season because the wait to course of his registration dragged on.
Barça eventually registered Olmo final week, benefiting from a rule which permits membership to exceed their restrict within the occasion a participant is dominated out injured long-term — on this case Andreas Christensen.
Younger ahead Pau Victor additionally arrived from Girona this summer time for €2.5m, however sources advised ESPN that Barça would have favored to usher in extra gamers.
They considered a move for Federico Chiesa, who ultimately moved to Liverpool, and missed out on Liverpool’s Stefan Bajcetic after making a late bid to signal the Spanish midfielder when Marc Bernal ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament
João Cancelo was another target who went elsewhere, with the full-back signing for Saudi Pro League membership Al Hilal, whereas Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah was additionally linked.
Barça president Joan Laporta is because of communicate in a information convention on Tuesday to debate the membership’s exercise within the switch window.
