The last 3 signings of Mateu Alemany for Barcelona

Mateu Alemany, current director of Men's Professional Football at Atlético de Madrid, finalized three signings for Barcelona during his last stint at the club: İlkay Gündogan, Íñigo Martínez, and Oriol Romeu. All three moves were completed in the summer of 2023, before the Mallorca-born executive permanently left the blue-and-claret entity on September 2.

More than three years later, those signings allow us to review Alemany's work in the blue-and-claret market. His exit coincided with Deco's consolidation as the chief responsible for the sports planning of Barcelona.

❝It's a huge challenge, and I want to respond with my work and commitment to that challenge and that responsibility❞ — Mateu Alemany 🎙️ https://t.co/qlhytHO4x9

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) October 8, 2025

Mateu Alemany bet on Gündogan and Íñigo Martínez for free

İlkay Gündogan, a German midfielder of 32 years at the time of his signing, was one of Alemany's first moves in that market. Barcelona announced his transfer on June 26, 2023, after his contract with Manchester City ended.

The German international signed until June 30, 2025, with an optional additional season and a buyout clause of 400 million euros. The operation did not require paying a transfer fee, a significant factor for a Barcelona constrained by its financial limitations.

The second move was Íñigo Martínez, a 32-year-old center-back who arrived from Athletic Club. The blue-and-claret team officially announced his signing on July 5, 2023, also as a free agent. The defender signed for two seasons, until June 2025, with a buyout clause of 400 million euros. His arrival allowed the incorporation of a left-footed center-back with experience in the First Division without paying transfer rights.

Oriol Romeu completed Mateu Alemany's three signings

The third signing was Oriol Romeu, a midfielder of 31 years formerly with Girona. Barcelona announced his signing on July 19, 2023, after reaching an agreement to execute his buyout clause.

The transfer was closed for 3.4 million euros, and the player signed until June 30, 2026. His signing responded to a specific need: to find a replacement for Sergio Busquets, who had left the club at the end of the 2022/23 season. The operation was also influenced by the alternatives Barcelona was considering. Names like Martín Zubimendi and Joshua Kimmich were among the options to strengthen the midfield, although their financial conditions complicated negotiations.

Thus, Romeu completed the trio of signings during that market: Gündogan, Íñigo Martínez, and the Girona midfielder.

Deco took charge of sports matters after Alemany's departure

Alemany's farewell did not happen immediately. On May 2, 2023, Barcelona announced that the executive would leave the club, but also confirmed that he would remain in charge of summer transfer operations until their conclusion.

The arrival of Deco as sporting director, announced on August 16, 2023, changed the distribution of responsibilities. The Portuguese gradually took control of sports decisions and negotiated alongside Jorge Mendes the loan deals for João Cancelo and João Félix. Alemany concluded his blue-and-claret era in early September 2023. Two years later, on October 7, 2025, he joined Atlético de Madrid as director of Men's Professional Football, with responsibilities over the first team, Atlético Madrileño, and the professional area of the Academy.

By November 2026, his work at Atlético already includes several transfer windows. His experience in Barcelona, where he managed the signings of Gündogan, Íñigo Martínez, and Oriol Romeu, constitutes one of the precedents for his current trajectory in the rojiblanco offices.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los 3 últimos fichajes de Mateu Alemany para el Barcelona