This summer’s transfer window will be the most important of Deco’s tenure as sporting director of Barcelona. He’s been tasked with signing a new top-level central defender and striker, while there is also the possibility of a full-back and left winger arriving to replace current loanees Joao Cancelo and Marcus Rashford.
Much has been made of Deco’s tenure, but he retains the full support of head coach Hansi Flick and president-elect Joan Laporta. The Portuguese has also been satisfied with how things have gone so far, as he told GE.com during a recent interview (via Sport).
“The team has been consolidating itself as a competitive team. Winning is a consequence. Today we have managed to rebuild a team to be able to fight for the title against a strong Real Madrid, a strong Atlético Madrid and against European clubs that have spent more than us in recent years. We are also lucky to have young players who have been consolidating, making the right decisions in terms of signings, and we have a team that can compete and I think that is what we are doing.”
Deco: My work will determine whether I stay at Barcelona
The last couple of months have been nervy for Deco, as he risked losing his job if Joan Laporta lost the presidential election. That did not happen, although he has admitted that his long-term future in Catalonia is not certain.
“These last two months have been complex, but we have managed to keep the team away from all that (election drama). Joan Laporta won, and he has five more years in office to consolidate the project that is being carried out.
“It’s very difficult to make long-term plans like that. I have a personal issue that will always be the most important to me: family. Let’s see how my life goes. Today we are happy in Barcelona. We probably have a five-year term. I don’t know if I’ll stay with Laporta for five years because I need to work well every year for things to continue.”
