Deco’s Clear-Cocked Plan: Barca’s Summer Mercado, Core Preserved and Youth Accelerated

Mercato in Review

Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, gave a long interview to Mundo Deportivo, outlining the summer window, its attempts and deals, contract renewals, player departures, and the future of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

As always, Deco spoke with candor, sharing precise details about the club’s sporting project.

Key Departures and Core Strategy

After a month since the window closed, Deco said, “Yes, overall we delivered roughly what we planned based on needs and what we were looking for.”

He added, “We did most of what we agreed with the coach. For years we’ve said we must build a strong team, and this has been realized—we won, then won again last season. We have young players maturing and becoming important contributors.”

“Our primary idea was to preserve the core. A team that wins can always improve, but the most important thing was to safeguard the pillars. It isn’t easy, because success invites chatter about your players. Still, our plan was to sustain the project, and improve it where possible. I think we achieved that.”

He noted that  Íñigo Martínez’s departure was not expected but came as a result of market temptations, something hard to control.

Martínez left Barca in the summer window to join Al Nassr, and the club benefited by reducing the Basque player’s salary to about €14 million per year, providing vital breathing space under Spain’s “fair play” rules.

Spanish outlets reported Barca saved roughly €30 million, a figure that could rise to €40 million after the latest sponsorship deal.

Fair play isn’t a barrier

Deco rejected the idea that Barcelona is the big casualty of fair-play regulations, insisting the rules apply to everyone. “Three years ago we signed Lewandowski, Rafinha, and Koundé. Today it isn’t just about acquisitions, but also renewing contracts for Pedri, Gavi, Rafinha, and others. The most important thing is that we’ve restored something essential: players’ willingness to come to Barcelona.”

He named players such as Lenglet, Ansu Fati, Oriol Romeu, Pau Victor, and Pablo, stressing that most decisions were driven by sporting considerations rather than finances: “Ansu needed regular playing time, Monaco was a great option for him. Lenglet wasn’t in our plans due to a defender surplus. All these decisions helped financially, but they were primarily athletic.”

Goalkeeper File

Deco explained that signing young goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol came after repeated injuries to Ter Stegen, revealing a depth issue in the goalkeeping department: “The aim wasn’t to find a replacement for Ter Stegen, but to plan for the present and the future. Marc is a great goalkeeper and a leader, and there is no disagreement with him.”

He added that the Garcia signing stemmed from real needs: “We wanted a young keeper who can serve both present and future, not a 28- or 30-year-old short-term fix.”

Gavi’s Absence and De Jong Renewal

On Gavi’s injury, he said: “His absence is very painful; he’s a unique player with a different character. At 21, he already has experience beyond his years. We hope he follows in the footsteps of Xavi and Puyol to become a club legend. True, we lost him in the short term, but the future is the priority, and doctors’ decisions focus on protecting his long career.”

He also confirmed that renewal talks with Frenkie de Jong are proceeding positively: “He’s happy here and sees Barcelona able to compete for titles. For us, he’s a fundamental player in the present-and-future project.”

Attacking Signings and Market Options

Deco revealed the target was a left winger: “Luis Díaz was the first choice, but Liverpool refused to sell. Then we turned to Rashford, loaned with a non-mandatory buy option. Nico Williams was proposed by his agent, but negotiations didn’t complete on terms.”

He added: “There is no A or B plan. We wanted a high-quality player who adds attacking solutions. Díaz was excellent, Rashford too, and Nico can play on either side. In the end, we didn’t reach an agreement.”

Future of the Team

Deco closed by stressing that the current squad is stronger than last season thanks to the maturation of youths and improved form of Rafinha, De Jong, and Koundé, along with coaching staff stability: “We have a hungry group for titles, a young, cohesive squad, and a long-term project we trust.”

Punchline 1: Deco’s targets are so precise, even a sniper would tip his hat and say, now that’s what I call a clean hit—goal, not gossip.

Punchline 2: If Barca’s mercato were a sniper drill, the only thing that misses is the bench—on matchday the ball always finds the net and the crowd finds the smiles.