da bet7k： Kylian Mbappe is not wanted at Camp Nou, as Real Madrid close in on his signature, with Deco claiming that the Frenchman would make Barcelona “worse”.
da aposte e ganhe： Article continues below
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French forward heading towards free agencyLined up for switch to Santiago BernabeuBarca reluctant to join race that requires salesGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The World Cup-winning forward is one of the most sought-after players on the planet and may be about to hit free agency in 2024 as his contract at Paris Saint-Germain runs down. A switch to Spain would appear to be on the cards, with Real Madrid ready to make the 25-year-old superstar their next ‘Galactico’.
AdvertisementWHAT DECO SAID ABOUT MBAPPE
Barcelona have no intention of joining the clamour for Mbappe’s signature, with sporting director Deco telling of why a deal for the France international – that would require sales to be sanctioned – makes little sense in Catalunya: “I don't know what will happen with Mbappe. It would be a mistake to sell [Ronald] Araujo and Frenkie [de Jong]. I would like to improve the squad and not make it worse. I think it would be worse for the team if Araujo and Frenkie left and Mbappe came.”
(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
While Mbappe will not be heading to Camp Nou, Barca are open to the idea of keeping loan stars Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix around. Deco added on the impact made by Manchester City-owned Cancelo: “He gave us balance in this full-back position. He can play on both sides. He was missing a player on the right and he also has quality.”
He went on to say of Felix – another Portugal international acquired for little outlay in 2023: “[Ousmane] Dembele left due to the clause in his contract and Ansu [Fati] wanted to leave because he wanted minutes. Players were missing. He [Felix] came almost at zero cost, lowered his salary and decided to play some games.”
WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
A new head coach will have some input on transfer business in the summer window, with current manager Xavi – who oversaw a La Liga title triumph last season – revealing that he will be stepping down at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.