Barça faces every transfer window with the need to address immediate urgencies, but also with an eye on the future. In this regard, the sporting management led by Deco keeps an operation active that is being worked on slowly and is aimed at 2026 as a key date.
The talent that keeps winning over the technical department
Cardoso Varela, a winger trained in Porto's youth academy and currently at Dinamo Zagreb, is one of the most highly rated names by Barça's scouting department. His impact in youth categories, especially in the U-17 Euro Cup, confirmed the impressions he had already left in Portugal: a player with dribbling skills, speed, and personality in one-on-one situations.
Barça see him as an ideal profile for their offensive style, as several sports media have stated for months. Able to break through tight defenses and constantly create numerical superiority on the wing, Varela represents the type of footballer that has historically fit the culé philosophy. In addition, his youth allows him to be projected as a long-term investment, initially alternating between the reserve team and the first team.
An operation that requires patience and calculation
In June this year, Varela renewed his contract with Dinamo Zagreb until 2028, thus securing his short-term continuity. However, Barça are already working with the perspective of his arrival in 2026, according to Fabrizio Romano. The plan is to get ahead of other European giants, such as Manchester City, who have also shown interest in the striker.
The release clause, set at around five million euros, makes the operation manageable for the blaugrana coffers. Deco's strategy is to close a deal with enough time to avoid a bidding war that could drive up his price in the coming years.
Flick's role in the planning
Varela's addition is not intended as an immediate solution, but as a strategic reinforcement. His arrival, if it happens in 2026, would help strengthen an attack that, at that time, could be in full transition after the end of the cycle for several current key players. It would be a similar operation to the one carried out this summer with Roony Bardghji.
Barça are not rushing, but they also don't want to lose the privileged position they've already gained in this dossier. Cardoso Varela will continue to grow in Croatia, where he is already considered one of the players with the greatest potential in the Balkan league. In Catalonia, meanwhile, the technical department keeps alive a file that could mark the first major signing of the summer of 2026.
The bet is clear: secure young talent before the market drives up the price and ensure Barça have a footballer with the potential to make a difference. Time will tell if patience pays off, but in the offices they trust Cardoso Varela will wear the blaugrana jersey in just two seasons.