Barcelona director Deco has named the two Premier League players that the club are interested in signing this summer.
In recent years, Barca’s transfer windows have been dominated by their well-publicised by financial issues, with La Liga often preventing their big-money signings from being registered.
Dani Olmo, signed from RB Leipzig for a fee of £60 million last summer, was briefly banned from playing for the club in January amid an off-field saga between Barca and La Liga that went as far as being heard in a Spanish court.
But the focus this season has surrounded on-pitch matters, with Hansi Flick’s side winning La Liga and reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
Barca’s attacking style of play and high defensive line under Flick has gained significant attention, and the club will hope to build on their successes further next season.
Barcelona players celebrate after beating Espanyol 2-0 to win La Liga (Image: FC Barcelona)
Now, club director and former midfielder Deco has taken the unprecedented step of naming two players that Barca want to sign in the summer.
The former Portugal star named Liverpool‘s Luis Diaz and Manchester United‘s Marcus Rashford as the two transfer targets.
Rashford is currently on loan at Aston Villa, who reportedly have an option to buy the England international for a fee of around £40 million.
The 27-year-old’s relationship with manager Ruben Amorim deteriorated before his January exit, while United’s failure to qualify for Europe will surely increase the likelihood of a permanent departure even further.
Rashford was previously linked with a move to Barca before moving to Villa Park, and it remains to be seen which choice he would prefer if given the opportunity this summer.
Diaz, meanwhile, has long been tracked by Barca and scored 13 goals in the Premier League this season, playing a significant role in helping the Reds to win their first league title in five years.
Speaking on the Spanish radio programme El Mon a Rac1, Deco revealed: “We like Luis, and we like Rashford. But we can’t talk about players who are under contract.
“For me, it’s much more important to improve what we have at home.”
Rashford’s versatility means he could play as a centre forward if he signed for Barca, with Deco commenting: “Talking about a striker only seems like looking for a replacement for Robert [Lewandowski], but today you have a team that has a fixed ‘9’, which is Inter, with Thuram.
“PSG don’t have one. Arsenal don’t have one. Today we have one, which is Lewandowski. And there are players in the squad who can play there, like Ferran [Torres], who has had a spectacular season.”
