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Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has admitted he does not know if it will be possible for the Catalan giants to make a star signing this summer amid speculation concerning moves for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.
The Catalan giants continue to be linked with a host of big names ahead of the summer transfer window despite the club’s enormous debts. Koeman was asked about the speculation at a pre-match press conference on Sunday and admitted the final decision would be up to club president Joan Laporta.
“I don’t know if it’s possible because we spoke about the future of this team and the final decision is always by the board, the president of this club, if something is possible or not,” he said. “It’s not up to me to answer this question because I’m not involved in the financial situation of the club. We spoke about how we can improve the team and the final decision is always by the president and the board.”
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Barca Met With Haaland Agent
Laporta met with Haaland’s agent and father earlier this week to discuss a potential transfer to the Camp Nou. The Norwegian is expected to cost around €180 million ($212m) if he moves this summer but would be available for just €75m ($88m) in 2022 because of a clause in his contract.
Barcelona is one of several teams linked with the Dortmund striker, although Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has suggested this week his club is unlikely to be in the running for a new striker.
Meanwhile, Xavi Hernandez at Diario ARA has reported that Neymar is keen to return to Barcelona this summer and is willing to make a financial sacrifice to push the deal through because he believes Lionel Messi will stay at the club.
Neymar’s current deal at PSG expires in 2022 and he is yet to commit his future to the Parisien side. The Brazilian was sent off on Saturday as PSG crashed to a 1-0 defeat to Lille in Ligue 1.
Koeman Talks Messi Future
Koeman also spoke about Messi’s future on Sunday. The captain is out of contract in the summer and able to walk away for free, but the Dutchman is hoping the Argentine will stay on at the Camp Nou.
“It is a really important issue and we will do everything we can for Leo to spend many more years at this club,” he said. “But, at the moment, it’s not about next season, it’s about the game against Real Valladolid. The president and his people can deal with the future.”
The Barcelona boss also confirmed that he had used the recent international break to discuss potential transfers with Laporta but gave little away about how Barca might strengthen.
He explained, “As I said a couple of weeks ago, we took advantage of the international break to have a meeting with the president and the board to speak about this season and next season. It happens at all clubs in the world, but the players and I are focused on our upcoming games.”
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