Sporting director refuses to discuss contract renewal for Lewandowski
Barcelona sporting director Deco has thrown cold water on the prospect of signing a new striker in the near future, insisting the club will not make the mistake of becoming “obsessed with signing a No 9”.
Barcelona have been linked with moves for Manchester City’s Erling Haaland or Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy.
“We shouldn’t be obsessed with signing a number 9,” said the sporting chief. “Perhaps you can do without one. This isn’t the time to talk about signings. Ferran can play as a 9 if needed.”
Barcelona currently play with either Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres as a centre-forward, although the latter has generally been preferred over the 37-year-old veteran in the starting lineup this season.
Lewandowski said he understands the manager’s decision to rest him more this term due to his age, so that he can be fresh for the big games.
“We know that last season there were parts where we didn’t play well,” said the striker. “I don’t want to say we were tired, but not so fresh. So we have to know being more fresh for the future means we have more opportunities to be a better team.”
The Pole’s contract runs until 2026. Deco said there was no need to discuss now whether he will be offered a new contract
“We’re not going to talk about renewals in October,” said Deco. “He’s one of the best forwards of recent years, a top-level player who’s helped us a lot. We’ll analyse that later.”
