Deco talks contract situations of Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, Garcia, Kounde, Martinez | OneFootball

Barcelona director Deco recently sat down for an extensive interview with SPORT, during which he discussed in detail several matters, including the club’s recent renewal spree, which saw them tie down the likes of Pedri, Ronald Araujo, and Gavi to new deals.

The former Portugal midfielder also shed light on his conversations with Araujo which led to the contract extension at a time when he was being linked with a departure to Juventus.

As part of the interview, Deco also gave an insight into the contract situations of several other Barcelona players and the club’s plans to address them.

On Lamine Yamal’s situation

Lamine Yamal is one of the players at Barcelona whose contract runs out in 2026. The Blaugrana already have a plan in place to keep him at the club for a long time, with Deco confirming as much during the chat.

“A footballer from here. Like Gavi, Cubarsi, Lamine and others, who have grown up here, I see no better place for them than at Barça. I think Lamine feels this, he enjoys this and he is happy at Barça, in Barcelona, he has his friends, his family,” said Deco.

“From here, we have to do our homework. We have to make sure that he is always happy and make the contracts. We have a responsibility to Lamine at all levels and he must be happy. He is a key player and there is no price, we will not listen to offers.”

On Lewandowski, Martinez

Meanwhile, Deco also provided an update on the situation of Inigo Martinez and Robert Lewandowski, both of whom have clauses to extend their contracts for one more year if they meet certain conditions.

On Martinez, he said: “Inigo has a clause in his contract that could be activated, but we’ve already been clear with him for months. He’s a player who contributes a lot to the team and the locker room. He’s a leader, and a player we want for next season.”

Set to extend their stay. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Regarding Lewandowski, Deco remarked: “It’s a different case. They have different clauses. Robert has a contract, but the club could terminate it if certain conditions aren’t met. We’re clear that we want him to stay, but Robert isn’t just a Barça player.

“He’s a global figure, one of the best forwards in football history. I think he’ll want to stay because, in addition to having a contract, we’re very happy with him. But if a player doesn’t want to stay, it’s always difficult to keep them.

“That will be a question for Robert when the time comes, but I believe he’ll stay. When you speak to him, he always talks about the future, the next season. He’s very involved, a true professional.”

On Eric Garcia’s future

Eric Garcia is another player whose contract expires in 2026, with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick blocking his transfer to Como during the winter transfer window. On being asked if there were plans to renew the Spaniard, Deco noted:

“I’ll say again: each player has their own story and contract. Eric is a player who grew a lot last season at Girona. The Eric that clubs wanted this season is not the same Eric who left here a year ago. He’s a much more developed, much more mature player.

“He has a lot of self-confidence, and he’s an Olympic champion. He’s 23 years old and reaching his maturity. He has one more year on his contract with us, and the relationship with his agent is great.”

Eric Garcia’s contract expires in 2026. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Continuing, he added: “I think we need to take things step by step. In a season, there are moments—sometimes a player feels valued, and other times not. Right now, he’s in a good moment, but we don’t know if he’ll stay.

“I believe he will because I think he has the ability to reach a high level, and then he must want to stay at Barça. Once that happens, he’s a player we want to count on, but I don’t think it’s the moment yet.”

On Jules Kounde’s future

Jules Kounde has become a very important player for Barcelona, nailing down the right-back spot for himself this season. He has a contract that runs until 2027 and Deco was asked if there were plans to offer him a new deal.

“He has this season and two more. His contract ends in 2027. Every situation has its moment. We don’t do renewals just because a player’s contract is ending, and we rush to renew them. There’s a process, a consolidation of things,” said Deco.

“I don’t want to talk about one or the other, every player has their moment and specific contractual situation. We’re very calm with Kounde, and I’m sure we’ll want him to stay with us,” he added.

“He’s only 26, and when the time comes, we’ll discuss it. If we’re building a team for the years to come, we want Kounde with us.”