Deco wants to bring TWO wonderkids to Barcelona

James Shearman

• Updated: 30 Jun 2023 09:28 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona legend Deco wants to bring two wonderkids to Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.

The former Portugal international, who spent four seasons at Barca, is set to replace Jordi Cruyff as the club's new sporting director.

And, it seems he is already working on deals for the future, with Ivan Fresneda and Arda Guler at the top of his transfer wishlist, according to Sport.

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Fresneda is an 18-year-old right-back that made 18 La Liga starts for Real Valladolid in the 2022-23 season.

While Guler, also 18, is an attacking midfielder for Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce. He has registered 13 goal contributions in 32 league games.

Barcelona's financial trouble

Barcelona remain €1.35 billion in debt two years on from losing Lionel Messi on a free transfer to PSG, despite Joan Laporta's now infamous 'financial levers'.

Laporta's 'financial levers' - essentially the sale of rights to a percentage of future revenues on facets of the club from TV rights to merchandise - allowed the club to spend nearly €150m on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde last summer. But they remain in serious financial trouble.

"Eduard Romeu, the economic vice president of FC Barcelona, confirmed that Barcelona has not been able to reduce the structural debt it maintains (€1.35 billion without counting the €1.5bn cost of the 'Espai Barca' project to redevelop the Spotify Camp Nou)," report Cadena COPE.

However, Romeu insists that debts have been restructured and that the club can keep spending in this summer's transfer window, having already agreed to the signing of Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City.

"We have restructured the debt for up to 10 years with maximum prudence," he said. "We want the club to have recurring positive results without the use of levers, and aim to be out of debt in the 2023/24 season."