FC Barcelona recently confirmed the departure of their Director of Football, Mateu Alemany, at the end of this season. He will be associated with the club only till 30th June, but has assured the club that he will work on all the operations the club will be undertaking in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the club has a list of tasks for their departing Director of Football, which are discussed below:
Registration of Renewals:
The main priority task for FC Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window is to get the contracts of the players registered with whom they have already reached a renewal agreement with La Liga. The process of contract renewals of Gavi, Araujo, Marcos Alonso, and Sergi Roberto is almost completed, with registration with La Liga remaining the only step left to be done.
However, La Liga claims that Barcelona will go beyond their wage limit with these renewals, and thus are unwilling to register these contracts at the moment. This is the first task that Alemany has to fulfill before leaving the club.
Renewals:
While these previously mentioned players have agreed and signed their renewal agreements with the club, there are a host of other players who are yet to conclude their negotiations with the club. These players include Ousmane Dembele and Alejandro Balde from the first team, and Inaki Pena and Lamine Yamal from the youth.
Alemany will also have to conclude these renewal negotiations before leaving the club.
Sales:
The club desperately needs to cut down to size its squad and shed off some of the players that are not needed, and even some highly rated players to get some much-needed cash injection.
The club is looking to offload players like Umtiti, Lenglet, Dest, etc., while some high-profile names like Fati, Ferran, Raphinha, Kessie, and Abde might also need to be sold to generate cash for other transfer market operations.
Reinforcing the Forward Line:
The club’s attack has not performed up to the expectations of the fans or the club management, and FC Barcelona is looking for reinforcements in this sector.
Messi is the main target for the club this transfer window, while negotiations for other forward options like Vitor Roque, Aubameyang, and Carrasco are also underway, which will have to be concluded by Alemany.
Strengthening the Midfield:
The midfield also needs strengthening, as Busquets has gained another year of age, and the rest of the midfield might be too thin to remain competitive in a highly congested season. Thus, the club is in negotiations with players like Gundogan to complement their midfield for the next season, which Alemany will have to oversee before leaving the club.
Bringing in a Right Back:
The right-back position is the most obvious weak link in the current Barcelona squad, as there is no natural player for this position in the squad. Kounde, Araujo, and Sergi Roberto have filled in for this position at times during this season, but Alemany will have to buy a right back to provide Xavi with a fully functional squad for the upcoming season.
Thus, Alemany has his work cut out for him in the coming months and will have to work extremely hard to fulfill all these tasks and leave the club on a high after a memorable career at the club.
