UPDATED: Mateu Alemany leaving Barcelona after Deco appointment

With just two weeks left in the transfer window and big business still to be finished, Barcelona could be in the middle of a massive shake-up at the highest levels of the football department. That’s according to Gerard Romero, who reports there is a real possibility that current sporting director Mateu Alemany will leave the club once the appointment of director of football Deco is made official.

Alemany nearly departed Barça for a job in the Premier League at Aston Villa a couple of months ago, but changed his mind after a visit to Birmingham and returned to Catalonia. But Joan Laporta had already decided to appoint former Barça midfielder Deco as his replacement, and it was agreed that Deco and Alemany would work together.

Deco had been working in a non-official capacity since the beginning of the window, but the announcement of his appointment will be made official either today or Thursday, and reports out of Catalan media say he will have maximum authority in the sporting department, severely diminishing Alemany’s role.

Perhaps that is the reason for the possible departure of Alemany, but nothing is decided yet. There are no normal days at Fútbol Club Barcelona, are there?

UPDATE: Alemany’s departure — and Deco’s appointment — is now official.