On Wednesday, news emerged that Mateu Alemany has decided against leaving his role as Barcelona’s Director of Football, 15 days after an official statement from the club confirmed that he would be departing at the end of the season.
Alemany cited a “new professional project” at his reason for leaving, with a move to Aston Villa expected, where he would have been working alongside former Sevilla and Villarreal head coach Unai Emery.
However, it appears that he has rejected Aston Villa, and according to Relevo, one of his reasons for doing so revolved around their financial situation. The Premier League side are said to not be in a positive economical situation, which seemingly indicated it would be difficult for them to sign players in this summer’s transfer window.
Alemany is likely to be facing a similar situation at Barcelona, given their finances are far from perfect too, although his relationship with Xavi Hernandez is said to have been another reason for his decision to turn down Aston Villa.
The pair have worked closely since Xavi took over as head coach in November 2021, and their combined efforts have helped Barcelona secure their first La Liga title in four seasons.
Alemany is likely to work alongside Deco, who had previously been touted as his replacement at Barcelona. The Portuguese is expected to take over from Jordi Cruyff, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Image via David Ramos/Getty Images
What a load of nonsense.