Barça’s Winter Transfer Stance: No Signings Ahead of a La Liga Showdown with Celta Vigo

Barça’s Winter Plans: No Signings, Says Deco

The Portuguese, Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, has stated that the club does not intend to sign players in the upcoming winter transfer window.

He noted that all signings for 2026 will be completed in the summer market.

Barcelona had only signed three players in the last summer window: goalkeeper Juan Garcia, Marcus Rashford, and Roni Bardji.

In an interview cited by the British tabloid The Mirror, Deco said: "If we are performing well and there are no surprises, I don't think a winter signing is necessary."

"We know exactly where we can improve and the difficulties we faced last season; we also managed to overcome difficult moments," he added.

Injuries, lineup and the Vigo test

Barcelona prepare to face Celta Vigo at Balaídos on Sunday, in La Liga's twelfth round.

Coach Hans Flick announced the squad for the match as Barca chase balance after a 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League.

According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Barca will play on a ground that has often given them trouble in recent years, with Balaídos not exactly a friendly venue.

The Blaugrana hope to return with three points to keep pace with Real Madrid at the top and to reassure their fans before the upcoming international break.

In this match, Danish defender Andreas Christensen returns after missing the last three games, including the Clasico, due to muscular pain, and has been given the medical clearance to play.

Spanish defender Eric Garcia will line up with a protective mask after a nose injury against Brugge, likely occupying the right-back slot in the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Juan Garcia and Rafinha remain sidelined with injuries and are expected to return after the international break.

Conde's presence

The squad also features French defender Jules Koundé, who did not complete Saturday training due to physical concerns. He had earlier suffered discomfort but was included in the squad for Vigo with potentially limited minutes depending on his condition.

Flick also called up academy prospect Xavi Espart, as a precaution in case Conde cannot play fully, joining a group including other academy players such as Koshin, Eller and Dru in the roster.

The official Barca squad for the Vigo match was listed as: Chesney, Koshin, Eder Eller, Baldi, Araújo, Kobarci, Gerard Martin, Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia, Xavi Espart, Vermin, Casado, Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Bernal, Dru, Ferran Torres, Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Rashford, Roni Bardji.

Flick's assessment

Flick stressed that injuries to several key players have cost Barca dearly but added that the title race in La Liga remains long and a strong finish is possible. "Selta Vigo are in great form, having won four in a row and currently have a better dynamic; still, it will depend on how we approach the game. We need the three points," he said.

"Laporta's backing is always important. We've talked a lot about the current situation and we need more confidence," he added.

"Our defense sometimes sat too deep against Brugge, with attackers far from danger zones. We must be tighter with and without the ball; that's what we are missing now. We discussed it and hope to apply it better against Selta."

On players' commitment, Flick concluded: "I am convinced they know exactly what to do."

Season two

He compared his Barcelona spell with his second season at Bayern Munich, saying: "Comparing is easy, but I won't talk about Bayern here. It's not fair because we won the Bundesliga in the second season there too. I'm not looking for excuses; injuries are real and we are managing them as best as we can."

"We would have liked more points, but we left Brugge with a point and we are five points behind Real Madrid in La Liga."

"We must keep working until May; the road is long. When everyone is back in two or three games, we will be at our best. They will help us a lot. Until then, we must keep fighting. I didn't see that fighting spirit last Wednesday against Brugge."

On the defense ahead of Vigo, he noted: "Eric Garcia can play with the mask, and Conde's participation is doubtful; we will wait until the last moment."

He finally added that academy prospect Espart, along with others like Koshin, Eller and Dru, could feature if needed.

And for a little humor to wrap it up: Punchline 1 — If Barça’s winter plan is to resist, the ball might finally agree to stay in the net a bit longer. Punchline 2 — They say talk is cheap; apparently, so are most winter signings, but the goals still cost the same on matchday.