Laporta and Deco in an emergency meeting: what is going on behind Barcelona's closed doors?
An urgent move
Barcelona president Joan Laporta arrived early at the club's training complex on Tuesday, keen to greet Hansi Flick and the players before the session got under way. He then sat down with the sporting management to run through the outstanding files, with just one week left until the summer window slams shut.
Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, turned up at the same time. The timing is no accident. Barcelona still have a handful of deals they want tied up before the final deadline on 1 September.
Top of the list is the search for an out-and-out striker. The sporting management reckon the team needs reinforcement in that role after Robert Lewandowski's exit, and they are weighing up several names. Now comes the hard part: accelerating contacts with players and their clubs to nail down which deals can realistically be done in these closing days.
Laporta and Deco are watching this one closely. The pair have stayed in constant contact over the striker and every other move, holding repeated meetings across recent weeks to track the market.
Barcelona have sparkled in attack early in the season, yet the sporting management would still rather sign a specialist centre-forward than lean entirely on players who can fill in when required.
Options inside the squad are plentiful. Raphinha, Anthony Gordon and Hamza Abdelkarim can all operate through the middle, but Barcelona believe each is best served staying in the role where he shines brightest.
Gordon's versatility was one of the reasons Barcelona chased him in the first place. The Englishman can play on the wing or up top, handing Flick an extra option to manage games.
The striker is not the only item on the agenda for the final week. Alejandro Balde's future remains open after Manchester United declared their interest in the Spanish full-back. The English club are ready to consider a loan, while Barcelona would prefer a permanent transfer.
Should Balde leave, Barcelona may act to reinforce their defence with a left-footed centre-back, adding another job to the pile the management must clear before deadline day.
Laporta and Deco made their moves off the back of a strong start, above all the 5-0 thrashing of Elche. That result pleased the president no end, but it did nothing to shake the management's belief that a striker is needed.
Seven days remain, and Barcelona are in a race against time. The striker, Balde's future and any other business all need resolving, with Laporta and Deco pressing on to identify the deals still on the table before the window closes.
