While major additions to the playing squad might not be on the horizon for Barcelona, the club has initiated a move regarding a potential reinforcement for their recruitment team. Reports indicate that Barcelona is pursuing Tim Steidten, known for his previous roles as Technical Secretary at West Ham United and Head Scout at Bayer Leverkusen.
Currently, Barcelona`s recruitment efforts are spearheaded by Director of Football Deco, assisted by Bojan Krkic, though Krkic`s focus is less on scouting and negotiations. The scouting department itself, which has faced reductions in recent years, is led by Paulo Araujo. It appears the club recognizes the potential benefit of bringing in additional, specialized expertise.
Fabrizio Romano: Barcelona in Talks for Tim Steidten
According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona is engaged in discussions to bring Steidten aboard. The 46-year-old German first gained prominence as Head of Sport at Werder Bremen before spending three years as Head Scout for Bayer Leverkusen. In 2022, he transitioned to West Ham, initially as Head of Sport and later serving as Technical Secretary.
Romano highlights Steidten`s strong existing relationship with Deco, cultivated when the two collaborated on the transfer of Edmond Tapsoba from Vitoria Guimaraes to Leverkusen during Deco`s time as an agent. Steidten also played a role in deals for notable players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Mohammed Kudus. However, competition for Steidten`s services exists, with clubs from Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the United Kingdom also reportedly expressing interest.
Recent Departure: Andrea Mancini Leaves Barcelona Recruitment
Last summer, Barcelona had added Andrea Mancini, son of Roberto Mancini, to their recruitment setup following his experience in Italy as Sporting Director at Sampdoria and a scout at Fiorentina. His specific duties at Barcelona were never publicly detailed, and he subsequently departed the club this year without any official announcement, returning to Genoa. The exact role that would be offered to Steidten remains unclear, particularly as he may have opportunities elsewhere that offer greater autonomy.
