Barcelona‘s season has not been perfect, missing out on a place in the Champions League final, but coming from where they came from, it was not far off a perfect campaign, winning the league, Super Cup and Copa del Rey titles. The performance of the squad has surprised many, including Deco himself, the Barça sporting director, who did not expect such a satisfactory end to the season.
In the same interview, after El Clásico, Deco spoke about the transfer market, assuring that he does not expect any significant losses, but that some adjustments need to be made to the transfer advantage. “I don’t think that this team, given its dynamic and joy, has anyone willing to leave. We have already renewed most of the players, now we have to take care of those who are here. Last year I said we couldn’t lose anyone. I think it’s the same now. If we can improve, it’s always possible, but the key is to keep what we have consolidated for the coming years. Suddenly we feel very dependent on Raphinha and Lamine. Maybe we need similar players, a solution for them. The squad is quite balanced and we also have a lot of good things at the base,” he said.
The main objective in the transfer market
One of the best players of the season has been Jules Koundé. The Copa del Rey hero has been undisputed throughout the season for Hansi Flick. The player was playing his 53rd game of the season against Inter in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, having started 50 of them. He was injured in that game, which meant he missed the return leg in Milan, where he traveled as a fan, and last Sunday’s El Clásico against Real Madrid.
In his absence, Flick has opted to use Eric García, converted to right back. The main reason is the lack of confidence in Héctor Fort. The youth player is the natural replacement on the right flank, but he does not have the necessary experience to fill the position in important matches, and there are even thoughts of letting him go in the summer transfer window. For these reasons, the club wants to turn to the summer transfer market in search of a reliable right back who can compete with Koundé and reduce the Frenchman’s workload.
Pedro Porro, one of the candidates, already has a price tag
Over the months, several names have been linked with a move to Barça, including Frimpong, who is also of interest to Liverpool; Vanderson (AS Monaco, 23) and Catalan Marc Pubill (Almería, 21). In addition, the sporting director is keeping an eye on the progress of Givairo Read, a defender who plays for Feyenoord (24).
In recent days, a new candidate has emerged, Spanish right-back Pedro Porro. His current club, Tottenham, is open to letting him go this summer and, according to Fichajes.net, Barça is closely following him along with Atleti and Villarreal. The Spanish player has a contract until 2028 and it will not be easy to put a price on his departure. The Spurs will listen to offers in the range of €60-65 million.
This price, coupled with the competition, will make it very difficult to secure the signing. In addition to Barça, Manchester City and Bayern Munich have also shown interest in the full-back. These are two teams with great financial potential, while Barcelona has no salary cap to sign players unless they sell players to boost the club’s coffers. They will have to consider a more affordable option than the Spanish full-back from Tottenham, who has become a regular in the starting eleven.