Although not every signing has gone as planned, FC Barcelona still have been able to make some very good transfer deals in the last few seasons. The person who played a leading part in such deals, the FC Barcelona Director of Football, Mateu Alemany, is set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Mateu Alemany was the Director of Football at FC Barcelona during a financially difficult period. The calamitous financial conditions of the club since the Covid-19 pandemic had left very little room for the club to maneuver in the transfer market.
Still, led by Alemany, the club was able to make some important deals, including those for Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Kounde, among others. The club has already confirmed that Alemany would be leaving the club on 30th June. The current Director is looking for a new professional project to start working on.
While the reasons for his leaving the club are not yet clear, a recent report from Helena Condis claims that he was against the renewal of a number of old-guard players like Busquets and Sergi Roberto, and wanted the club to bet on younger players.
Furthermore, he was also against the idea of bringing Lionel Messi back to the club, as he believed that such a move would further jeopardize the club’s finances. He was also against the idea of signing Azpilicueta, and overall, he found it difficult to plan the squad for the next season with a very small wage margin.
These were the main disagreements he had with the club. His current contract with the club is set to expire in 2024, but he will be leaving a year early. However, he has guaranteed Laporta and other club officials that he would leave only after overseeing the club’s transfer operations in the upcoming transfer window.
Thus, while he will be released on 1st July, he will still work on the club’s operations till the final deals are concluded in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, FC Barcelona have already started looking for a replacement for their departing director.
One of the names being considered by the club is Real Betis’ sporting director Antonio Cordon. Cordon has already worked with Jordi Cryuff when they both were working for the Ecuador National Team. However, his name is not final, and the club would be looking at other possible options before finalizing their pick for this important position.
