Laporta: Deco doing 'silent work' as Barcelona outline squad needs

Joan Laporta used a post-season appearance on May 21 to sketch Barcelona’s summer priorities in unusually direct terms, saying sporting director Deco is doing “silent work” on the market and that coach Hansi Flick is already looking ahead to next season. Laporta said Barcelona expect to strengthen the squad despite their long-running financial constraints, adding that the club will be able to sign the players it needs. (sports.yahoo.com) Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo and Barca Universal both carried Laporta’s remarks from the team’s end-of-season dinner in Castelldefels on Thursday. The comments matter because Laporta did more than offer a broad vote of confidence in Deco and Flick. He also outlined the positions Barcelona believe they must address this summer: a striker, what he described as an elite midfielder, and defensive cover. Those remarks gave the clearest public indication yet of how the club is framing its 2026-27 rebuild after retaining domestic momentum under Flick. ### What exactly did Laporta say about Deco and Flick? Joan Laporta said Deco was doing “silent work” behind the scenes and described Flick as “extremely excited” about the next campaign, according to reports published on May 21. (mundodeportivo.com) Mundo Deportivo summarized Laporta as saying Flick could already be seen to be “super excited” about what is coming, while Barca Universal’s account said Laporta presented Deco’s work as ongoing ahead of the summer window. The same May 21 remarks also tied the coach and sporting director together in Barcelona’s planning. (sports.yahoo.com) Laporta has previously defended the Deco-Flick partnership as central to the club’s sporting project, and recent coverage around the president’s re-election campaign portrayed continuity in those roles as a priority. ### Which positions did Barcelona president single out? Laporta said Barcelona need a striker, an elite midfielder and defensive reinforcement for next season. (mundodeportivo.com) Barca Universal’s report on his comments said the president expects the 2026-27 season to be “stronger and much more difficult,” framing those additions as necessary rather than optional. Other recent reporting has pointed in the same direction. Football España reported in April that Deco’s summer brief included signing a top-level central defender and a striker, while ESPN and Transfermarkt have linked Barcelona with defensive and attacking targets including Cristian Romero and João Pedro. (tribuna.com) Those reports remain transfer speculation, but they align with the needs Laporta named publicly this week. ### How does Laporta say Barcelona can afford to move? Laporta said Barcelona “will be able to sign players we need,” according to reports published Thursday. (sports.yahoo.com) That phrasing was the clearest part of his financial message: the club’s leadership believes it will have enough room to make additions before the new season. FC Barcelona’s official site has not, in the material reviewed, published a matching full transcript of those transfer remarks. But the club has already confirmed one piece of summer continuity around the first team by announcing Flick’s contract extension through 2028, giving Barcelona a settled coaching structure as Deco works on recruitment. (football-espana.net) ### Why are these comments more specific than usual? May 21 was Barcelona’s public end-of-season gathering in Castelldefels, and Laporta used that setting to move beyond generic praise. Instead of limiting himself to celebration, he named the areas the squad lacks and paired that with reassurance over signings. (sports.yahoo.com) That leaves Barcelona with a defined short-term sequence. Deco is expected to continue market work in the weeks ahead, Flick is under contract until 2028, and Laporta has said the club’s aim is to bring in the players it needs before 2026-27 registration is completed. (fcbarcelona.com) (sports.yahoo.com)