Barcelona director Deco explains the reasons for signing Dani Olmo

In an interview with BarçaOne, Barcelona director Deco explained why the club spent heavily on the signing of Dani Olmo during the summer transfer window.

Olmo, 26, returned to Barcelona a decade after leaving the club, as he was signed from RB Leipzig in a deal worth €55 million plus another €7 million in add-ons.

The Spanish international’s signing was initially questioned by many considering that Barça had a plethora of options in the attacking midfield position and needed reinforcements in other areas.

However, the signing has worked a treat for the Catalans thus far, with Olmo hitting the ground running, scoring two goals in his first two appearances.

Olmo adds balance and a different profile

Now, Deco, who played a key role in the transfer, has shed light on why Barcelona went after the signing of Olmo with such intent, saying that the UEFA Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner brings balance and variety to the team.

“I think that the signing of Dani Olmo gives us enough balance in midfield, gives us a profile quite different from those we already had in this area,” the Barcelona sporting director remarked.

Continuing, he added that the signing also improved the offensive quality of the team, while also stating that the club’s idea was never to lose any important player.

“So with this, we also gained in offensive quality because there were players, there were offers, there were offers for several of our players, but we knew that we did not want to lose any important player, and this has been the idea,” Deco added.

On Flick and La Masia

During the interview, only a preview of which has been released now, Deco also praised Flick for his work ethic and the high demands he sets.

“He is a calm man, a football person who likes to work, a coach with clear ideas and very demanding, very clear about what a player has to set and the people who work on a day-to-day basis. I would define him as a hard worker,” said Deco.

The Barcelona director also discussed how the youth talent from La Masia had impacted the club’s transfer strategy as well as the performances in the early parts of the season, saying:

“The idea was that if these youngsters work, we no longer had to go to the (transfer) market so much. The idea was to find this balance and know what we were missing. Within what we had in mind, I think we found the balance.”