Barcelona's director of sport, Deco, was interviewed by RAC1, discussing the start of the new season, some of the transfers completed this summer, and responding to questions about Rodri, Álvarez, Raphinha, and others. He also touched on the Ballon d'Or, the development of young players, and the club's squad planning for the future. This article is the second part of that exclusive interview.

Let's talk about Gordon.

Why Gordon? From a sporting perspective, I speak with Bojan and the head coach every day. We essentially watch all training sessions. If I'm not there, Bojan is. On top of that, we watch matches, analyze teams, and communicate with the head coach and coaching staff. So we're very clear about what we're looking for.

One thing we found difficult about the team last season was that when Raphinha didn't play, the team's energy seemed to drop. This isn't about comparing one player's ability to another; that's not the issue. We've been saying for some time that we need energy, we need players who can bring intensity to the team.

Of course, technical ability is always the first thing Barcelona considers, but on top of that, we also need this intensity. So regarding Gordon, we analyzed many things and discussed many wingers. But it's almost impossible to buy players from the Premier League now—just look at the numbers there.

Newcastle United can sell Tonali for 120 million euros; you can see how the entire market operates. So first, we have to make sure we have the capacity to complete this operation.

Second, when we discussed various types of players, the head coach told us from the start that among these candidates, Gordon is the type that best suits our needs. Only after that did we start pushing the deal and try to negotiate the figures. But I think we have a big advantage, and I always say that.

When Barcelona can once again make a player feel like "I want to play there"—that hope is very important to us. Because a transfer isn't just about whether you want a player, but also whether the player himself truly wants to come.

What about Bernardo Silva? Didn't he want to come to Barcelona, or did he?

Actually, Bernardo was never a position we prioritized, and in terms of player type, he wasn't who we were looking for initially. Of course, he's a very good player, and I like him a lot.

And he's Portuguese, playing for my country. I think he's one of the best players in the world over the past few years. But in this particular situation, he wasn't the position we were looking for initially.

However, Bernardo did tell us that he wanted to come to Barcelona. So when a player of this caliber tells you he wants to come, you naturally feel he could help the team. Things didn't go further because we have our own parameters and are very clear about certain things.

This includes not just salary but also his role within the team. When these demands exceed the scope we've defined, we can't break our principles. Our idea is clear: if you want to come, it's on these terms. If it requires a different approach to bring you in, then it won't work for us.

Are you saying this purely because of financial reasons, or is it also related to how much playing time he expected?

I think it's both. First, we can't tell a player: "You're guaranteed to play when you arrive," or "You won't play."

Everyone has to earn their place in the team; that's entirely the head coach's decision. Our job is to help the head coach and give him what he needs as much as possible.

After he conveys his needs, we'll do our best to meet them. But when a player's demands differ from what we can offer, then it can't go forward. It's no longer just a financial issue, but involves the entire situation. So that's how it is.

Simply put, was he expecting guaranteed playing time?

I think so. He comes from a place where he gets playing opportunities, and of course, he has his ambitions. But I'd rather talk about what we've done ourselves.

Related reading:

Deco: I initially believed the team would have a very good start, but I didn't expect us to score so many goals

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com