With minimal projected change in the market, new Barcelona Sporting Director Deco won’t have a never-ending list of duties to complete in the upcoming months, but the ones he does have are challenging.
Deco has questioned their capacity to sign any players during the January transfer window, including Vitor Roque, an 18-year-old Brazilian attacker, which may be a big setback for Xavi Hernandez’s intentions.
Sport reports that he has two other items on his agenda, but determining whether they can fit Roque into their salary cap will be near the top of his list. Frenkie de Jong’s renewal is one of them, and Robert Lewandowski’s is the other.
The de Jong deal looks tricky, but eminently possible as long as the Dutchman continues feeling at home in Barcelona. The latter could be a little more difficult.
Lewandowski is on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth, but his salary rises year on year as part of his current arrangement. While he remains the number one option for Xavi, he will turn 36 next season and become the highest paid player at the club, a situation which is considered far from ideal.
Hence Deco will try to offer him a new one-year deal until 2025, keeping Lewandowski under contract in the extreme situation that they want to serll him next year. Lewandowski has frequently spoken about how happy he is in Barcelona, and how little Saudi Arabia attracts him, but the Catalan daily say the Saudi Pro League continue to be highly interested in the Polish striker, and may insist next summer.
Depending on how he performs this year, Barcelona may consider selling him for what they can get next summer and easy out for a tricky situation. Equally, they will be highly keen to reduce his salary limit hit, with resources short in Catalonia.