Barcelona sporting director Deco has refuted the possibility of the club selling Ronald Araujo or Frenkie de Jong in the summer transfer window.

Araujo has been a target for Bayern Munich in recent months, as well as linked with Manchester United. Frenkie de Jong has also long been linked with the latter, with more recent speculation centring on an alleged bid from Paris Saint-Germain.

Even with Barca still not out of the woods financially, Deco is un-moved.

“Nothing will happen,” Deco told Movistar when asked about the duo.

“They have a contract and we want to keep the best. And they are the best. They are footballers of the present and the future. They are players who have earned the right to be at Barca and they have earned the respect of the fans and the club. We want to continue counting on them.”

Araujo reached an agreement in 2022 for his current contract that runs until 2026, coming with a €1bn release clause. De Jong’s deal also ends in 2026 and he has publicly addressed recent claims that he is unhappy at Camp Nou and could be sold by the club. Deco is even reported to have met with the player and his agent in order to assure them that Barca aren’t behind the rumours.

Barca officials have had to work furiously in recent years to bring the club back from the brink of financial oblivion. Contracts have been repeatedly slashed and many players sold in order to reduce costs and keep money coming in. A deal was even agreed to sell De Jong to Manchester United in the summer of 2022 until the player pushed back and other complications saw a transfer fall through.

But president Joan Laporta claimed earlier this month that light is visible at the end of the tunnel.

“If we meet the budget, the darkest era in FC Barcelona history will be over,” he said.

“The budget produces a surplus without having to sell assets. The club has been doing some good work here. The expenses and debt have been reduced in just over two years. In part, this has been thanks to the large turnover generated by BLM and to the reduction of the sports payroll.”