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Erling Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola has offered Barcelona hope in the race to land the prolific striker from Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona’s current financial problems means the Catalan giants look outsiders in the chase for Haaland, but Raiola has refused to rule out a move to the Camp Nou for the striker.
“It’s difficult, but not impossible,” he told Marco Ruiz at AS. “That’s the job of one of the club’s directors. It’s the same for the clubs as it is for the players. A train goes by and what do you do? Catch it or let it go? That’s the big question.”
Haaland is expected to cost around €180 million ($212m) if he does leave Dortmund this summer. However, Raiola also added the Bundesliga giants have made it clear they do not want to sell currently.
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Raiola Explains Barcelona Meeting
Raiola and the striker’s father Alf-Inge Haaland met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta at the start of April to discuss the possibility of a move to the Camp Nou. The player’s agent subsequently met with representatives from Real Madrid.
The controversial agent told Ruiz about the trip to Spain and how he met with Laporta to congratulate the 58-year-old on becoming Barcelona president for the second time in his career.
“If I tell you the reason for the trip you won’t believe it. Haaland’s dad had to go to Marbella. He wanted to travel and I did too, because I had to congratulate Laporta and then go to Madrid” he said. We did it all in one go. Because, look, 99% of the times when I’m travelling, nobody knows where I am.”
Laporta has made bringing Haaland to Barcelona his top priority this summer, according to Marca. However, the club’s financial problems mean any move “would be dependent on some major sales.”
Messi To Help Fund Haaland Transfer?
Captain Lionel Messi may also be able to help the club fund a deal for Haaland if the Argentine agrees to a pay cut. The 33-year-old is out of contract in the summer but Laporta has said he “is convinced” he will stay at the Camp Nou, as reported by ESPN.
According to Marcus Foley at Eurosport, Messi is willing to sign a new deal “on reduced terms” as long as the club show ambition in the transfer market. Laporta has told Messi that “the club are set to begin negotiating a deal for Erling Haaland.”
The report explains that Messi currently ends €40 million net a year and Barca will still need some “external funding” to sign Haaland even if the captain takes a pay cut. Laporta is “currently in talks with an investment firm to acquire the required money.”
Yet even if Barcelona does manage to raise the funds needed to land Haaland, the club will still face competition from a host of other top clubs. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United have all been regularly linked with the attacker.
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