‘Now it’s time to work on the defence’: Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists the club are far from done in the summer transfer market… as he reveals Catalan giants fought off competition from Chelsea and PSG to land No 1 target Robert Lewandowski
- Barcelona have been incredibly active in the summer transfer window to date
- LaLiga giants landed their top target after sealing deal for Robert Lewandowski
- However, president Joan Laporta insists they are far from done in the market
- Barca have been linked with a move for both Jules Kounde and Cesar Azpilicueta
Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists his side are not finished in the summer transfer market, despite landing their top target Robert Lewandowski.
The Bayern Munich striker became the club’s fourth signing of the window after the Liga side agreed a £42.5m deal with the Bundesliga champions. The 33-year-old had been Barca’s priority in this window.
Now the gaze has shifted from up top to the back, with Laporta insisting that there is more to be done. The Blaugrana have already bolstered their defence with the arrival of Andreas Christensen from Chelsea, but their business does not appear to be stopping there.
Joan Laporta insists that Barcelona are not finished with business in this summer’s window
Sevilla’s Jules Kounde has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp, as has Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta.
And Laporta has confirmed that they will seek reinforcements ahead of the window shutting on September 1.
‘We want to make a competitive team, give Xavi the tools to have a good team and I think we are on the right track,’ he said in an interview with former Barca icon Hristo Stoichkov – as per Marca.
‘My dream is for Barca to become a world reference again and we are working for it. If the economy doesn’t recover it will be very difficult.
The Barcelona president wants defensive reinforcements, with Jules Kounde a target
Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta has also been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp
‘We are achieving it, but we have to work even harder. Football doesn’t wait. We have to do it now. With [Ousmane] Dembele, Raphinha, Lewandowski, [Franck] Kessie, Auba [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang], Ferran [Torres]… I think Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff are doing a good job.
‘Now it’s time to work on defense. Xavi has us focused on a series of players and I hope that the Catalans can take some more joy.’
Lewandowski met his new team-mates for the first time in Miami this week, having completed his protracted move, despite Barca’s precarious financial situation.
The Spanish club are still in need of clawing back a big chunk of their outlay this summer, and are attempting to force Frenkie de Jong to join Manchester United, though the Dutch midfielder is proving stubborn, especially given the money in wages he feels he is still owed.
Barcelona landed their no 1 transfer target at the weekend with Robert Lewandowski arriving
However, despite the monetary issues, Barcelona have still been able to compete in the market with Europe’s elite, with Laporta revealing they fought off stiff competition to land the Poland striker.
‘We have competed with teams like PSG and Chelsea to sign Robert and he wanted to come here,’ he said.
‘Barca needs a striker who scores, incisive, like any great team. Robert is a machine gunner. He has been awarded the Golden Shoe several times.
‘He guarantees goals and every great team needs a striker who guarantees goals. With him, with Ansu [Fati], with Auba, we have goals guaranteed.’
