Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font don reportedly hold talks with Manchester City chiefs about bold move to sign striker Erling Haaland.
The deadly Norwegian striker widely regarded as one of the best forwards in world football, after scoring 153 goals in 186 matches across all competitions since he join Manchester City in 2022.
Haaland, who don win Champions League and two Premier League titles with the Citizens, remain key first-team player under Pep Guardiola. He even commit his long-term future to the club last year after signing contract that go last until June 2034.
But that agreement never stop rumours linking City No.9 with possible big-money move away from the club, with Barcelona believed to be one of the European giants wey dey interested in signing him.
Haaland play for Manchester City during Wednesday 3-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid for Santiago Bernabeu, and pictures later show Barca presidential candidate Font and members of his management team leaving the Citizens training hotel in the Spanish capital.
Barca, Man City chiefs ‘hold meeting’ over proposed Haaland deal
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Carles Planchart and Xavier Aguilar, who be members of Font team, hold meetings inside the Four Seasons hotel with Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano and sporting director Hugo Viana.
The report talk say both sides discuss possible deal for Haaland plus special clause wey go give the Catalan giants preferential buy option for the City striker if Font win the club presidential election on Sunday.
Any summer move go likely be difficult because of Barcelona financial situation and the struggles wey the club don face in recent years to balance their books.
Those financial issues make the club miss out on several big transfer targets before.
However, Joan Soler – board member of Font presidential rival Joan Laporta – claim say Barcelona financially ready to sign big-name players like Haaland and Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.
‘Barcelona finances ready for Haaland, Alvarez moves’
“Yes, we fit sign players like Julian Alvarez or Erling Haaland,” Soler talk during interview for Spanish radio station Cadena SER.
“Those transfers go pay for themselves within five years, and Barcelona finances ready for am.”
Soler add: “At the end of the day, Barca must careful about the commitments wey dem make concerning the wage structure. We don set limit and we no go exceed am.
“We must sign players based on market price while still watching our wage structure carefully.”
The signing of new centre-forward fit depend on the future of 37-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski, whose contract go expire this summer but who fit still receive new deal according to Laporta.
“He be very talented player and serious goalscorer,” Laporta tell reporters. “As sign of appreciation, I go offer him one more year on his contract.
“He come during very difficult period, and despite his history with Bayern Munich, he push strongly to join Barcelona. He sacrifice a lot. We go see wetin he want do, but I would like make he stay one more year if he want.”
Barcelona financial situation also fit improve if dem manage beat Real Madrid to win the La Liga title and also go far in this season Champions League competition.
The Catalan giants currently dey try rescue their European campaign after playing 1-1 first leg draw with Newcastle United in the round of 16.
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