"The young players are growing into their roles" - Barcelona director Deco says club 'don't need to sign 4-5 players' to reinforce squad

Barcelona do not need to sign a host of players this summer, according to sporting director Deco. The Catalans refrained from breaking the bank last year, only bringing in Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig.

The Spanish giants also opted not to invest in the squad during the winter transfer window despite being linked with a multitude of names. With Barcelona returning to LaLiga's 1:1 rule in January, summer signings are expected to be on the cards.

However, speaking recently to Catalunya Radio (as cited by Barca Times), Deco hinted that the Catalans will put their trust in the younger players in the squad.

"We don’t need to sign four to five players in the current situation. At the moment, we're pleased because we have fewer concerns about signing players than we did before. The young players are growing into their roles," said Deco.

The LaLiga giants have recently tied the likes of Pedri, Gavi, and Ronald Araujo down to new deals. Pedri has been outstanding under Hansi Flick this season, while Gavi is also highly rated at the club.

Meanwhile, Araujo missed the entire first half of the season due to injuries but is now back fit. While he isn't a guaranteed starter at the moment, the Uruguayan is very much in the club's plans.

With Lamine Yamal continuing his explosive form this campaign, and the likes of Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde also going strong, Barcelona are well covered in multiple positions.

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Will Barcelona sign a new striker this summer?

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona could be tempted to sign a new striker this summer, with Robert Lewandowski set to turn 37 this August. The Polish striker has shown no signs of slowing down and has already registered 31 goals in 33 games this season.

As things stand, Lewandowski is set to stay at Camp Nou next season. However, that hasn't stopped the Catalans from planning for the future.

While Newcastle United's Alexander Isak is on their wish list, SPORT reports that Viktor Gyokeres is a more realistic target. The Sporting CP hitman has scored 34 goals from 35 games across competitions this season.

The 26-year-old reportedly has a €65 million price tag but Barcelona could sweeten a deal by including Vitor Roque and Francisco Trincao in their offer. The LaLiga giants sold Trincao to Sporting in the summer of 2023 but have retained the player's 50% rights.