“We were clear" - Deco explains why Barcelona signed Dani Olmo and not Nico Williams
Barcelona sporting director Deco has explained why the club ended up signing Dani Olmo and not Nico Williams this summer. The Blaugrana were heavily linked with a move for the Athletic Bilbao winger but eventually did not finalize a deal for the 22-year-old.
However, they did manage to add some firepower in the form of Olmo, who can play as an attacking midfielder and operate out wide if necessary. The 26-year-old was signed from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of £51 million.
Suggesting that Olmo's versatility meant that Williams' signing wasn't necessary, Deco said in a recent interview (via Barca Blaugranes):
"A high-level winger was needed. We have Raphinha, Ferran, the return of Ansu who was very good in pre-season but had a foot injury, we have Lamine... We have players who can play as wingers like Fermin or Dani Olmo."
"We were clear that to bring in a player he had to be of a very high level. But in the end, signing Dani Olmo gave you more options. It's not that we haven't spoken with clubs or players, but in the end, we had priorities that were decisive in not bringing in another winger."
Olmo has certainly hit the ground running for Barcelona, netting twice in two La Liga appearances. However, he's yet to feature on the flanks for the Catalans, having played in an attacking midfield role so far.
It will be interesting to see if Olmo continues playing a similar position when Barcelona faces Girona in the league on Sunday (September 15).
Barcelona star Dani Olmo doubtful for Girona clash after injury - Reports
Barcelona attacker Dani Olmo was forced off in Spain's UEFA Nations League clash against Serbia on September 5 after picking up an injury. As a result, he missed La Roja's 4-1 thumping of Switzerland on Sunday (September 9).
The Catalan club's fans will be sweating over Olmo's fitness, with several injuries already in the midfield area. Coach Hansi Flick is without Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal, who continue to recover from injury.
ESPN claims that the fitness issue for Olmo isn't too serious and he could be available for the match with Girona this weekend. The Blaugrana will not want their momentum halted after a strong start to the new season.
Currently, Barcelona sits on top of the Spanish top-flight standings, having won each of their first four ties of the 2024-25 campaign. They're four points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.