Mateu Alemany winning the game when it comes to transfer strategy

The big meetings that cause news at Barca no longer exist. Instead, the sports direction, led by Mateu Alemany with a lot of power, is in regular, daily contact with Xavi and Joan Laporta, to take on any first team item of business, big or small. Contact is constant, so the planning is crystal clear in all departments.

They all want to sign a right-back in the January window, and even get a forward and centre-midfielder, but La Liga's laws don't allow it financially. Mateu has known this for a while so has been finding players who are free in June.

While others dream, he has his feet on the ground and his planning will design Barca's future.

Mateu knows what Xavi needs and wants, but also understands the numbers, and is also the club's one solid relationship with La Liga chief Javier Tebas. He has been warning Barca for months that palancas won't cut it now.

Alemany understands Xavi wants the best but knows that cannot happen. The big effort was made last summer and now Barca have to be smart. Looking for zero cost players of quality and fishing them in.

And Mateu is on that, while balancing numbers to now register the new contracts of Gavi, Araujo and Balde as first teamers. And watch out for the Uruguayan because if this is not fixed, things will get complicated. Because Mateu understands that paying for substitutes like Ferran Torres and Raphinha - wow, two big mistakes - and not being able to have the contracts agreed and signed on validated is a huge issue. And things can happen. Mateu is working on that and also on making Xavi understand that operations like Zubimendi's are absolutely impossible in Barça's current shape.

Mateu's theory has brought in some useful players and the next could be Inigo Martinez in defence, Kante in midfield and Moukoko up front.