Deco: Bernardo Silva isn't our main priority, but he wants to come to Barcelona

Barcelona sporting director Deco gave an interview to RAC1 in which he discussed the team's season start and numerous summer transfer movements. He also answered questions about Rodri, Álvarez, Raphinha and other related matters. He also touched on the Ballon d'Or, the development of young players, and the team's future squad planning. This article is the second part of an exclusive interview.

Let's talk about Antonie Gómez.

Why Antonie Gómez? From a competitive standpoint, I speak with Bojan and the coach daily. We basically review all training sessions. If I'm not there, Bojan is. Additionally, we watch matches and analyze the team, communicating with the coach and coaching staff. So we know well what we're looking for.

One difficulty we faced last season was that when Raphinha wasn't available, the team's performance seemed to drop. This isn't about comparing which player is better. It's not a problem. We've said for some time that we need energy and players who can play intensely for the team.

Yes. Tactical quality is always Barcelona's first consideration, but based on this, we also need that intensity. So regarding Antonie Gómez, we analyzed many things and discussed many wingers. But right now, it's nearly impossible to sign players from the Premier League because you only look at the numbers there.

Newcastle United can sell Tonali for €120 million. You can see how the entire market works. So first we need to ensure we can complete this operation successfully.

Second, while we were discussing different types of players, the coach told us from the start that Antonie Gómez was the type that best suited our needs among these candidates. Then we continued with this agreement and tried to negotiate the figures. But I felt he had a significant advantage, and I always said that.

Barcelona is very important to us when the player can make them feel again the expectation of "I want to play there." Because a transfer isn't just about whether you want a player or not—the player must actually want to come.

What about Bernardo Silva? Does he want to come to Barcelona or not?

Actually, Bernardo Silva isn't the main area we're focusing on, and in terms of player type, he's not the profile we've been looking for from the start. That's true. He's an excellent player. I really like him too.

And he's Portuguese, plays for my home country. In my view, he's been one of the best players in the world in recent years. But in this situation, he's not the profile we originally sought.

However, Bernardo Silva told us that he wants to come to Barcelona. When a player of his level says he wants to come, naturally you feel he could help the team. But things didn't progress further. Why? Because we have our own criteria, and we know certain things well.

This includes not just salary, but also his importance to the team. When these requirements exceed the framework we've set, we can't compromise our principles. Our idea is very clear—if you want to come, it must be under these conditions. If there's a different way for you to come, it won't work for us.

In short, is he looking for guaranteed playing time?

I think so. First, you can't tell a player "if you come, you'll definitely play" or "you won't play." Everyone has to earn their place in the team. That's the coach's decision. Our job is to help the coach and support him with what he needs.

After we present his requirements, we'll try our best to meet them. But when a player's demands differ from what we can provide, there's no way to continue. This isn't purely a financial issue—it concerns the overall situation. That's why it happened this way.