Deco Discusses Barça’s Midfield Woes: Pursuing Busquets’ Successor

Since Sergio Busquets’ departure, the role of the defensive midfielder remains a recurring theme at Can Barça. Deco, the sporting director, addressed this in an interview on the ‘Onze’ program on Esport3.

The coach has utilized other players like Sergi Roberto, Gündogan, or Christensen, but the only one firmly established in the position is the ’21’. For now, it seems that the Dutchman is not on Deco’s radar. When asked about him and Araujo as potential sales to bring in Mbappé, the Portuguese stated that “it would worsen the squad.”

Deco talked about how challenging it is to replace a player like Busquets, as there are no players like him in the market. According to Deco, the closest ones would be Rodri and Kimmich, who are with two elite European clubs. There was also mention of Moisés Caicedo, a recent Chelsea signing this season for over 115 million euros.

Impossible Signings? Considering Barça’s precarious economic situation, it is unlikely that the club will make signings with excessively high prices. Young players and market opportunities are the avenues the club has to improve its squad (like Vitor Roque and Gündogan).

Rodri Hernández is the desired one by all. At 27, he is a winner with City and a key player in the Spanish national team. Few clubs can tempt him. He is happy in Manchester and has a contract until 2027. Unaffordable for Barça.

Kimmich, who turns 29, has been rumored in recent months as an option for the Blaugrana. Although his contract expires in 2025 (and it is not clear if he will renew), which could facilitate a deal in the summer, he still has a market value that is too high. Bayern does not seem willing to let him go, at least not without including players like Araujo in the operation.

“It would be like losing an arm and a leg” It is clear that if Barça sells Frenkie De Jong, they will be left completely deficient in the pivot position. “It would be like losing an arm and a leg,” Deco declared, referring to himself and Araujo. Barça considered slightly less expensive options, such as Aleix Garcia, Zubimendi, or the young Lucas Bergvall, but for now, they keep encountering a ‘no’ every time they explore the market. For now, they will have to wait until summer and see how much ‘fair play’ the club can generate.