Flick keeps Barcelona's transfer window open until the final whistle

There are only hours left before the transfer window slams shut, and Hansi Flick has no intention of closing any doors early. Barcelona's coach faced reporters ahead of Monday's match against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou and made clear the club is keeping its eyes open right up until the final minute.

"We always look at what's possible to do, and we'll see until the last day of the market," the German said, leaving every option on the table without stoking any excessive expectations either. In fact, he took care to lower the temperature on any anxiety: "I'm happy with the team and we don't have any pressure. Deco has done a fantastic job. For me, it's fine. As a coach, the most important thing is to work with what we have."

What did change in the last few hours was the look of the defense. Álvaro Cortés, the academy center back, was sold to Belgian side Antwerp for 3 million euros, and that departure leaves the door open for a reinforcement to arrive at center back. Flick was clear about the reasoning behind the decision: "Álvaro Cortés took a step forward, but at his age it's good for him to play at the highest level to continue his development. Playing another year with the reserve team isn't an option for him, and the best thing for him is to go to another club."

With that departure, the first team's pool of center backs is down to Cubarsí, Gerard Martin and Christensen, plus Koundé, who can play either right back or in the middle of defense, while Èric Garcia remains the starter at right back. It isn't a deep group for that position, and that's where the club could still move before the deadline.

No Ballon d'Or talk, no controversy: Flick steers clear of Mourinho's territory

Asked about Mourinho's call for one of his players to win the Ballon d'Or, Flick preferred not to play along: "It's not my job to run campaigns. Of course there are very good players on my team, but I'm not a fan of these awards. When the team is successful, the chances of winning these awards go up. There are very good players in Spain, and outside of Spain too, but it's not easy to pick just one."

On the medical front, the coach confirmed that Rodri had been dealing with discomfort over the past few days: "Rodri has had some issues these past few days. He's improved and he could start, but we'll decide tomorrow." The player, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and the World Cup's best player, made his debut in the blaugrana jersey last Thursday wearing the number 16 on his back. After training individually on Saturday, he was back with the group on Sunday, and everything points to him being included in the squad.

The academy products knocking on the door

Where Flick really opened up was when discussing the young players who emerged during preseason without having yet debuted in official competition. The most eye-catching case is Hamza Abdelkarim, the team's top scorer in the summer friendlies: "Hamza deserves it, of course, he's had a really great preseason. He's improved in every training session, he's very good in front of goal and he has a great mentality. He deserves to play, we have to give him minutes and chances to prove it in LaLiga."

He also had words for Brian Fariñas, another academy product who won over the coaching staff: "Brian Fariñas really surprised me in preseason. He's in 100% shape, committed to his role, he can play in different positions and it's fantastic to see him improve. He deserves chances too."

The third name was Jesse Bisiwu, a defender who arrived this summer from Club Brugge for 8 million euros, though in his case the plan runs through the reserve team: "Bisiwu is training with us and he'll play for Barça Atlètic. He has a lot of potential but it isn't easy, he'll keep improving in training."