Barcelona director of football Alemany to leave in summer

Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany will leave in the summer to start a new project elsewhere, the club said in a statement Tuesday

The club said Alemany would leave at the start of July but continue working for Barcelona to close any summer transfer deals which take longer, as his contract runs until the summer of 2024.

"Despite the fact that he will leave the club on July 1, thanks to a friendly agreement, Mateu Alemany has promised to seal all first team transfer deals this summer, even if there are some that take place in the last instant of the window," said Barcelona.

The Spaniard has been linked in media reports in recent weeks with Premier League side Aston Villa.

Alemany has earned praise for his work on deals to sign several players while the club has been mired in financial difficulty, especially arrivals on free transfers including defender Andreas Christensen.

Equally he has helped the club move on players on high wages, including Philippe Coutinho and Miralem Pjanic.

The 60-year-old was appointed by president Joan Laporta after he took office in March 2021.