Barcelona’s sporting director Deco expressed optimism about securing Frenkie de Jong’s contract extension while highlighting the club’s ambitions for the season. Speaking to Lance, he noted that negotiations with De Jong are moving well and emphasized the Dutch midfielder’s importance.
“We are in conversations. I believe we will reach an agreement. He is an important player for us. I think he is happy at Barcelona, and we are also happy with him. So I don’t think there will be any problem,” Deco said.
Deco also touched on Robert Lewandowski’s situation, saying the veteran striker will likely make decisions year by year given his age.
“Robert was important and he still is for us. I also think that, given his age and his career, he will live year by year. There comes a time in a career when you don’t make many long-term plans. I think he is focused on this year.”
Reflecting on the summer transfer window, Deco said the priority was to keep key players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Jules Koundé, while the arrival of goalkeeper Joan Garcia was prompted by Marc-André ter Stegen’s past injuries. New signings Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji were praised for their versatility and potential, respectively.
Looking to the 2025–26 campaign, Deco named the UEFA Champions League as the primary goal, while acknowledging the strength of rivals such as Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. He highlighted the importance of progressing step by step, especially ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Luis Enrique’s PSG.
“It will be a good and attractive game, but it is more of a qualification game. We have to go game by game. There’s no use dreaming of the Champions League if you don’t get through the group stage. It’s a good game, but we will try to earn points to achieve our goal, which is to qualify,” he said.
