Deco Plays It Cool on Julián Álvarez Links as Barça Sporting Director Backs Laporta Re-election
Barça's sporting director Deco addressed the Julián Álvarez transfer rumours, De Jong's injury blow, and gave his backing to Joan Laporta ahead of club elections.
Deco did the rounds on Thursday, popping up to put pen to paper in support of Joan Laporta’s re-election bid — and naturally, the press had a few questions for him while he was at it.
Julián Álvarez? Not Right Now, Mate
The one everyone wanted to hear about, obviously. Barça have been heavily linked with Atlético Madrid’s Argentine striker, but Deco was having none of the speculation — at least not publicly.
“No hemos hablado con ningún club o jugador. No es el momento” — roughly translated: we haven’t spoken to anyone, it’s not the time.
And look, fair enough. It’s February. The transfer window is shut. Deco’s point was pretty straightforward:
- Barça have two strikers already
- There are plenty of players they admire, but admiring someone and signing them are very different things
- Decisions will be made when the time is right
Don’t read too much into the denial, though. The fact he acknowledged they like certain players without shutting the door entirely tells you all you need to know. This one could have legs come the summer.
De Jong Injury — A Proper Kick in the Teeth
Deco also addressed the Frenkie de Jong injury, which clearly caught the club off guard. He described it as a surprise that came out of training — one of those unfortunate things that can happen when you’re pushing the intensity levels.
The timing is rubbish, no two ways about it. De Jong had been finding his rhythm again and this is the business end of the season. Deco was upbeat enough about it, pointing out that Barça have dealt with injury setbacks all campaign and will just have to get on with it. Resilience has been a bit of a theme for this squad, to be fair.
Backing Laporta — No Surprises There
Deco and Bojan both showed up to sign the paperwork supporting Laporta’s candidacy for re-election as club president. Deco was pretty matter-of-fact about it — he’s a member, he has the right to vote, and he’s backing whoever he thinks is best for the club.
He made it clear he believes in the current project and that there’s still consolidation work to be done. Whether you agree with that assessment or not, it’s hardly a shock that the sporting director is backing the man who brought him in.
Champions League — The Mountain Ahead
Barça are staring down a 4-0 first-leg deficit, which is, let’s be honest, a proper mountain to climb. Deco acknowledged it’s difficult — the result was unexpected and it stings — but pointed to the squad’s ability to bounce back from tough moments.
“We’re in the middle of the tie” was essentially his message. Optimistic? Perhaps. Delusional? We’ll find out on the night.
As for the potential next opponents — PSG or Newcastle — Deco was diplomatic, noting both present different challenges. He wasn’t going to pick a preferred opponent, but did say Barça are capable of getting through whichever tie comes their way.
One step at a time, though. First, they’ve got to do the near-impossible.