Barcelona Sporting Director Reveals Transfer Plan, Gyokeres Decision Made | OneFootball

Barcelona sporting director Deco revealed that the limited number of transfers his club are going to make this summer will not include the arrival of a new striker.

The former Portugal international has taken an unusually open stance on Barcelona’s recruitment strategy in recent weeks. Deco named Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Liverpool forward Luis Díaz as two players the club “like”, while outlining that a wide player is the “priority” addition in this current off-season.

During an interview with the BBC, the outspoken sporting director provided even more detail about Barcelona’s transfer plans. The club are not lining up any “crazy” deals, with “two, three or four signings” said to be on the cards. “When you decide to go to the market, for sure, we find some names. In my opinion, we don’t need to bring many players,” Deco reasoned.

In a separate public appearance at a management congress, Deco was asked whether one of these few arrivals would be Sporting CP’s relentlessly prolific centre-forward Viktor Gyökeres. The buccaneering striker is widely thought to be a target for Arsenal and Chelsea and his own manager expects him to leave following a ridiculous campaign which included 54 goals in 52 games.

Arsenal are thought to be interested in signing Viktor Gyökeres. / IMAGO / Maciej Rogowski

“He’s a great player who has scored a lot of goals in recent years at Sporting, but at the moment we’re not looking for that position,” Deco told reporters, as quoted by Record. “We already have [Robert] Lewandowski to play at No. 9, so it’s not a position we’re looking for.”

Lewandowski has been reinvigorated under Hansi Flick. With a deliberately reduced role in Barcelona’s full-throttle press, the experienced Pole racked up 42 goals across all competitions. Lewandowski may turn 37 in August, but as Deco was at pains to point out, he is set to remain the club’s first-choice forward for the final year of his contract.

When it comes to the players Barcelona are actually interested in recruiting, Deco struck a confident tone. “When I speak with the agents of the players, everyone wants to come or stay,” he told the BBC.

“So this is important. The image of the club is still good. We are proud because Barcelona is still such a big club, and the way we are playing football makes players want to come.”