According to Diario Sport, Barcelona's sporting director Deco gave an interview analyzing this summer's transfer market, departing players, and issues such as players being nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
About Real Madrid
Deco: "They have very good players and a great coach, who was my coach when I was at Porto. I wish them good luck, but hopefully not against us. If they can build a real team, then this season will be very tough. We just need to do our own thing."
Regarding Ferran Torres
Deco: "Barcelona players have to stay happy and give 100%. I'm happy for him and for his hat-trick. Football is largely about mentality, and we all took something positive from the game. He wanted to leave and become a key player in the team. If he asked to leave, we would let him go. He has contributed a lot to the team. I wish him all the best at Paris Saint-Germain."
Regarding Mark Casado
Deco: "It's more difficult to let a product-trained player leave. He's a very passionate Barça fan and a role model for young players, showing resilience and perseverance. That's football; not everyone can get playing time. It was a tough decision, and we were constantly looking for solutions. Ultimately, it was his own decision about where he wanted to go on loan."
Regarding the loss of 3 mobile phones this summer
At the end of the interview, Deco revealed that he had lost three mobile phones this summer.
Regarding Araujo
Deco: "I watched Liverpool's game yesterday and really enjoyed it. I have a lot of affection for him and hope he can succeed. Personally, I really like him. There was a period when he couldn't maintain his level, but his experience at Barcelona was excellent. Sometimes, the two sides don't always have the same ideas. He still has a contract with us, so it's too early to talk about these things now."
Regarding the Fiscal Fairness Act
Deco: "It's only September, the football season is still long, and everything is very intense. It's too early to think about next season's plans now. Of course, I won't stop thinking about it; I'm already considering next season, but now is not the time to talk about that. Our decisions will take both the present and the future into account."
Regarding De Jong
Deco: "We won't discuss internal club matters, including medical issues; that's private. We'll prepare reports and issue medical announcements. If I have a problem, I'll see a doctor. Others have people they trust who are handling these matters. It's a very personal issue. We communicated with him after learning about his injury. He's also spoken with people he trusts. He hasn't received any offers. Rodri's arrival hasn't affected his situation."
Regarding Baldr
Deco: "Nothing happened. He's our player. He's only 22, has a lot of room for development, and has a contract with one of the best clubs in the world. He has to compete for playing time. He's had some injuries before, but he performed exceptionally well two years ago. If Balde stays healthy, it's hard to imagine him not getting playing time at Barça. There's been a lot of talk, but he's never expressed any desire to leave. As for whether he gets playing time, that's not the sporting director's decision."
Regarding Rashford
Deco: "We thank Rashford, but Gordon better meets the coach's tactical needs. We didn't sign Alvarez? No problem. We are very happy with Jesus."
Regarding Alvarez's offer
Deco: "We made an offer to pay in three seasons. Some clubs pay in five years. I have no problems with Mateus Alemany, I haven't done anything to him. I don't know if he has a problem with me. I don't want to say anything more about Alvarez."
We are well aware that our players are all multifaceted. It's virtually impossible to truly replace Lewandowski. As for Ferran, even without Jesus, we can find solutions within our existing squad. If we couldn't sign Alvarez, we needed to find a player of a similar type, so we signed Gabriel.
We secured the opportunity for Adeyemi much earlier. As for Baldji, our original plan was to loan him out.
Rafinha and Pedri missed out on the Ballon d'Or.
Deco: "This is a global farce. I can't understand this nomination list. Individual awards are inherently unfair. Football is a team sport, and it's difficult to attribute everything entirely to one person. Seeing Pedri not selected, given his talent, I simply can't understand it."
Regarding Kubasa
Deco: "Cubasa is Yamal in the center-back position, the most amazing talent at this stage. His growth is incredible. He has become more mature, a leader of the team, and has corrected some minor issues. Center-backs cannot make mistakes."
Regarding the Golden Globe Award nominees
Deco: "Based on everything he's done for Barcelona and the national team, Yamal should be the biggest favorite. He's been through some important moments, even playing the World Cup while injured. Last season he was a key player for the team and the best player in La Liga. In my opinion, he's the biggest favorite. I don't see any doubt about it. In the years when Messi won the award, did others have a chance? Of course, but Messi was the best player at the time."
Three-week national team break
Deco: "This is a huge controversy. It's hard to understand why a player would leave the team for 20 days at the beginning of the season. There are more and more official matches now, and there are hardly any friendlies. Before, you could coordinate with the coach, but now you can't not bring your best players."
Our communication with the Football Association has been very smooth, including with Karanka. We have good relationships with everyone. We will submit relevant reports and anticipate potential risks in advance.
Regarding Rafinha's contract extension
Deco: "We are always monitoring the players' situation and keeping track of contract progress. We also need to consider their achievements and contributions. We don't want any imbalance, or anyone being significantly treated less than others, which could cause problems. He is one of the players we hope to continue working with for a longer period. We will talk to him."
Regarding Rafinha as captain
Deco: "He earned his captaincy through his performance. Every player has his own pride and personal aspirations. Becoming the captain of Barça is a dream. Rafinha has built his own story step by step in the dressing room and at the club; it doesn't happen overnight. He's happy here. Flick has always been able to get him to perform at his best."
Regarding the center
Deco: "The team doesn't lack a striker. Rafinha is performing exceptionally well right now. Gabriel is the closest player to a traditional number 9, but he's better at playmaking. Hamza is the true number 9, and a number 9 with a future-oriented approach."
Regarding the position of number 9
Deco: "The discussion about the number 9 position has been going on for a long time. The true number 9 players we have now are Kane, Haaland, and Lewandowski, with Lewandowski being the best of them. There aren't many players like that anymore."
Eto'o wasn't a pure number 9 either; he was more like Rafinha now. Paris Saint-Germain doesn't even have a true number 9. If you build your team's style of play around a center forward, you limit your playing style. There are many players in the team who can adapt to that position. Ferran wasn't a number 9 before either, so we don't need to be overly fixated on that.”
Rodri's back surgery
Deco: "Yes, he had surgery. Talking about medical issues is complicated for me. He will experience discomfort in his daily life, but it hasn't affected his career that much."
