However, according to SPORT, one of the defenders most appreciated by Deco is Nathan Ake, currently under contract with Manchester City until 2027. The 31-year-old Dutch international is viewed internally as a player who could fit both sporting and financial requirements for the Blaugrana. Ake offers versatility, being able to play as a left-sided centre-back or left-back, which suits the needs of coach Hansi Flick.
Finding those right elements, the first time at anything is tricky. So you're going to make mistakes and obviously having taken over in the circumstances that we did, basically the whole management team left. I was stuck being interim sporting director for the summer having no idea what made a good football player.