Barcelona's sporting director Deco is receiving unanimous praise following the closure of the 2026 summer transfer window. His management has allowed the club to strengthen the squad and generate significant income, according to a Mundo Deportivo report this week. The team, which leads La Liga with a perfect record, looks more competitive than last season.
What changes has Deco driven?
Deco has consolidated his influence within the club's structure. The sporting director has taken direct control of Barcelona Atlètic, unifying the operations of the B team and the first team under his supervision. This reorganization aims for greater coherence in player development. Furthermore, the monetization strategy for La Masia has intensified, focusing on selling players aged between 16 and 20.
This policy has yielded immediate economic results. Barcelona has earned over 200 million euros from the sale of twelve academy graduates. The most notable operations include Nico Paz for 60 million, Gonzalo for 40 million, and Víctor Muñoz for 21 million. Other names like Ansu Fati, Jan Virgili, Jofre Torrents, Héctor Fort, Iñaki Peña, Fernández, and Marc Casadó have also been involved in exits or are expected to leave.
How does Hansi Flick's team look?
The squad managed by Hansi Flick, backed by president Joan Laporta, is considered more solid. The summer market has been marked by moves from other top clubs, but Barça has worked on its own project. On the pitch, the team has started the campaign flawlessly. After three matchdays, they lead La Liga with 9 points, having scored 12 goals and conceded just 2, reflecting a strong run of form you can track on our stats page.
"With the summer market closed, the praise for Deco is unanimous," stated the sporting director himself. His work, however, has also involved passing on some opportunities. For instance, Argentine striker Julián Álvarez, heavily linked with the club, ultimately did not arrive and is reported to be at Atlético Madrid.
What happened in the rest of the market?
The Mundo Deportivo report also notes intense activity in other leagues. Manchester City reportedly offered 140 million euros for midfielder Enzo Fernández. Meanwhile, Liverpool rejected a 100 million euro offer for their forward Cody Gakpo. These figures underline market inflation and the context in which Deco has had to operate. "In time we will know," Deco added regarding the long-term impact of his decisions.
Barcelona must now focus on the pitch. Their next fixture is an away match against Valencia, who are 16th in the table, on September 6th. All fixture details are available on our fixtures page. The team will travel to Mestalla with the confidence from their current league leadership, which you can check in the standings, and with a renewed and praised squad.
