Sporting director Deco denies reports of travelling to London to meet representatives of Chelsea’s Joao Pedro
Barcelona sporting director Deco has admitted replacing Robert Lewandowski will be one of the club’s biggest challenges this summer, describing the departing striker as “almost impossible” to succeed.
Lewandowski’s departure leaves Barcelona searching for a new focal point in attack after the Poland international ended a trophy-laden spell at the club. Since arriving in 2022, the forward helped restore Barcelona’s domestic dominance and won seven trophies, including three La Liga titles.
Speaking about the task facing the club, Deco acknowledged that identifying a direct replacement for one of Europe’s leading goalscorers would not be straightforward.
“It is almost impossible to replace Robert, the best forward of recent years,” Deco said. “At Barça, it is difficult to replace, but football is like that. Ferran [Torres] came as a winger and transformed into a 9. It is time to make decisions and strengthen the team.”
Lewandowski made his final Camp Nou appearance in the 3-1 win over Real Betis, receiving a standing ovation and a commemorative presentation from club officials. Deco said the striker’s contribution extended beyond goals and trophies.
“Robert is already part of the Barça crest, and we will always be grateful to him,” Deco said. “Thanks to him, we achieved credibility at a sporting level.”
Barcelona have already been linked with several attacking options as they prepare for the post-Lewandowski era, including Chelsea forward Joao Pedro and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. Deco, however, denied reports that he had travelled to London to meet representatives of Joao Pedro.
“I didn’t go to see Joao Pedro; you are all mistaken,” he said, while refusing to dismiss transfer activity elsewhere. “We are not ruling out or signing anyone. We are talking about it.”
