AS: Barcelona's plan B for attack in dispute; Flick wants a No. 9, Deco prefers no signings

According to Diario AS, Flick and Deco agree on most decisions, but they differ on Plan B if Kubi doesn't arrive.

Barcelona coach Flick and sporting director Deco agree on almost everything. For example, they both prioritize signing Julián Álvarez to compensate for Robert Lewandowski's absence. However, if Julián Álvarez ultimately does not join Barcelona, the coach and sporting director differ on how to approach Plan B.

Atlético Madrid's stance on this deal is very firm. Barcelona must prepare a contingency plan in advance to strengthen their attack, and Flick and Deco have different ideas on this point. Flick insists on bringing in a striker, while Deco believes there are no affordable players on the market who can adequately fill this role. He prefers the team not to sign any more players and instead utilize the versatility of existing attackers. The German coach's reasoning is clear: he believes the traditional "number 9" is crucial for goal production.

Without Lewandowski and Rashford, Barcelona would have 24 fewer goals than last season. Deco counters this by arguing that Barcelona's current players are sufficient to compensate for these goals, provided the team adjusts its system to use a "false nine." Deco has cited Paris Saint-Germain as an example more than once; although they have Gonçalo Ramos in their squad, their attacking setup features Dembélé, Barcola, Doué, and Kvaratskhelia, none of whom are pure strikers.

Deco believes that with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Karim Adeyemi, Fermín López, and newly arrived Bisouma, Barcelona already has sufficient personnel to form a reliable attack. Flick remains unconvinced. In Barcelona's recent friendly in England, Flick started Hamza Abdulkareem and brought on Oscar Gistau as a substitute—both pure strikers from Barcelona's youth academy. Flick also stated upon leaving England: "Something must be done about the number 9 position." The debate continues.

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