Joan Laporta addressed Barcelona’s January transfer plans and the possibility of signing a number ‘9’ next summer, keeping the door open but entrusting Deco with the key decisions.
Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, stated this Thursday that the club’s sporting director, Deco, will be “monitoring” the winter transfer window. He added that they are ready to bolster the first-team squad if necessary. During a discussion organised by ‘La Vanguardia’ newspaper, the club’s president said that if they find “a market opportunity”, the club will “study it thoroughly”.
“Deco is working and keeping an eye on the market. Opportunities may arise, but Flick is getting a lot out of the current players,” he pointed out.
When asked if the Catalan club intends to sign a number ‘9’ next summer, Laporta stressed that his intention is to “strengthen the team”. In his opinion, “it is not necessary to break the bank” to sign a star player.
“If someone thinks we need to sign a world-class player, of course, we could consider it, but it is not necessary. Our strength is the team, not an individual player. And as they say, too many chiefs in the same organisation don’t always work out,” he added.
Laporta announced that next Thursday, December 11th, the versatile defender Eric García will extend his contract with the club. He also sent a message of “support” to Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo, who is currently sidelined indefinitely due to mental health issues.
“We need to support Araujo, as these circumstances can arise. I spoke with him, and he said he was motivated. I got the impression that he can get back to his best,” he added.
Beyond current sporting matters, the president of the ‘Azulgrana’ club explained the entity’s position on the Super League project after he participated as a guest in the annual assembly of the ‘European Football Clubs’ (formerly ECA) at the beginning of October.
“We are making a transition with UEFA towards giving peace a chance. Conflict certainly does not benefit us. Some want to remain in permanent conflict, and we do not,” he said, referring to Real Madrid, the main driver of the Super League along with Barcelona.
Laporta also referred to the conflict between the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, and the head of La Liga, Javier Tebas. He insisted that “relations are good” with Tebas and that he hopes he will continue in his position, despite the investigation opened against him by the Administrative Court of Sport (TAD) for alleged breach of confidentiality related to the Catalan club.
“Tebas is a man of his word. What I don’t trust are the strategies to remove him. His departure would not be good news for Spanish football or for us. I don’t like that there are strategies from Madrid to remove him. If Javier Tebas and Florentino Pérez are at odds, I’m not worried, but in this confrontation, there are certain obsessions on the part of Real Madrid,” he commented.
Regarding his relationship with the president of Los Blancos, he said that they are cordial, although when asked about the recent criticisms of Barca by his counterpart at the Real Madrid members’ assembly, he stated that Real Madrid “has panicked” in the face of Barcelona’s “resurgence”.
Finally, regarding the electoral calendar, Laporta revealed that he and his board of directors plan to announce the date of the elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona at the end of January. These elections must be held between March and June 2026.
