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Monchi: "The idea is to provide the coach with players so he can compete"
The Sporting Director talks at the start of preseason
With preseason training underway and three new additions to the first team made this summer, Thursday was an ideal moment for Monchi to assess the work done thus far at the club.
"I've been spoken to clearly from day one, and I feel no anxiety or urgency regarding how the transfer market is unfolding. The idea is to provide the coach with players so he can compete. We have at least 39 matches to play, and I hope there will be many more, and my mission, as sporting director, is to assemble the highest quality squad possible," he stated.
"We're just getting started and we're progressing well. There also have to be departures from the club this summer. I'd like to try and accomplish a few more things before we head to Navata for the training camp. We have a general idea of the names we want, but now we have to handle the timeframes. The World Cup is slowing everything down a bit. We have a clear idea of the players we're targeting," the head of the Sporting Department insisted.
“I have high hopes for these three young players who have arrived. The transfer market might offer you the possibility of a more high-profile player, but I value a player's performance above all else. I prefer to sign lesser-known players who, through their performance, will continue to develop,” he reiterated.
On Thursday morning, Monchi greeted the squad just before the first training session of preseason. He commented that “Everyone looked very eager, with renewed energy. It's the first day back, and we still have the entire preseason ahead of us.”
Finally, he also emphasised that “we want the youth system to play a significant role at the club. The arrival of Marco Otero has been a major step. My commitment to the academy is absolute; we're going to try to adapt the recruitment model there to that of the first team. The current project excites me, although we must keep in mind that the academy's results are always looked at in the medium- and long-term.”