FC Barcelona are waiting for the summer to arrive so that, despite their financial situation, they can draw up Deco’s list of tasks to improve a squad that is already performing at a high level. One of these tasks for the sporting director is to finalize the signing of a left winger. It is a wish that has been on his list since the last summer transfer window, and with several candidates on the horizon, he hopes to seal the deal in the coming months.
Last summer, Barça came close to signing Nico Williams, but in the end, due to the Athletic player’s reluctance, they opted for Dani Olmo, who had made it clear that he wanted to wear a Barca shirt. However, the search for a left-winger at the Camp Nou was not over. According to Barça sporting director Deco, the position needs to be strengthened in order to increase the team’s competitiveness.
“We have players who can play in several positions: Olmo, Raphinha, Fermín… but it’s true that we may lack a left-winger. It’s not like it’s an absolute priority, because Raphinha is doing perfectly and Fermín can play there even though it’s not his position. If you look at the squad, maybe we could have another player there,” said the sporting director in an interview with Diario Sport. An attempt was made to sign Rashford in the winter transfer window, but his arrival was linked to the departure of a player, most notably Ansu Fati.
With what is available, FC Barcelona is already performing
The search for a left-winger is more than a necessity, it is an ambitious goal to create an even more competitive squad. After a few years of drifting and rebuilding, the truth is that Hansi Flick’s Barça is running like a well-oiled machine. At the moment, Raphinha occupies the left wing in attack and he scored in the last league game at the Sánchez Pizjuán.
The player has scored 24 goals and provided 15 assists in 35 appearances. In total, the Barca number 11 has scored 13 goals in 23 LaLiga appearances, 8 in 8 Champions League games, 2 in 2 Spanish Super Cup games and 1 in the Copa del Rey. The 28-year-old is enjoying one of his best seasons to date, becoming a key player in Hansi Flick’s system, and work is already underway to keep him.
The sporting director himself has said that Fermín can play there even though it is not his position. He is one of the best players in Hansi Flick’s team so far this season. He has accumulated 5 goals and 5 assists in 25 official matches in the 24/25 season.
A clear goal
The arrival of a new left winger is a matter of particular importance within FC Barcelona. One of the names in red to strengthen this position is Luis Diaz (28 years old), who is showing a fantastic level with Liverpool. And he is a footballer that Joan Laporta likes. According to information published in El Nacional, Deco’s strategy to get the player to wear the Barca jersey would also involve getting rid of Frenkie de Jong (27).
According to the same source, Barcelona’s plan would be to include the Dutch midfielder in the negotiations in order to reduce the cost of signing the Cafetero. At the moment, Luis Diaz is valued at 70 million euros, a complicated figure for the Catalans, who would have to negotiate with the Premier League as a whole, and that is where De Jong’s role could be key.
Pressure from Arabia for the player
The ‘TEAMtalk’ portal reports that Barcelona, despite their financial situation, have a high regard for Luis Diaz, although they are not the only team looking to sign the player this summer, but they would not be the only ones. It is also reported that there is strong interest in Luis Diaz from Saudi Arabia, with clubs such as Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal willing to make a significant offer to lure him away from Anfield.