Barcelona are preparing to go ‘ALL IN for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland this summer’, with cash-strapped Catalans plotting ‘player sales and sponsorship deals to help raise money to fund the £67m deal’
- Barcelona are looking to mount a challenge to sign Erling Haaland, say reports
- Haaland will be available for £67million this summer due to a new release clause
- The Catalans will reportedly look to sell players and sign new sponsorship deals
- Ousmane Dembele, Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay are those who could exit
- Barcelona are also close to a £237m three-year sponsorship deal with Spotify
Barcelona feel they can go all-in to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and they are plotting ways to make money to sign the Norwegian striker, say reports.
The 21-year-old forward is set to be one of the most sought-after players in the summer transfer window, with a £67million release clause being activated later this year.
Haaland – who has scored 23 goals in 20 matches for Dortmund in all competitions this season – is expected to be chased by most of Europe’s elite clubs, with Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain also said to be keen on him.
Barcelona are prepared to go all-in for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, say reports
Xavi (right) and Joan Laporta (left) reportedly feel they could make enough money to get him
But according to Spanish news outlet SPORT, Barcelona feel that potential player sales and new sponsorship agreements will give them the financial muscle to go out and get the striker this summer.
Haaland’s entourage have held talks with Barcelona before, with his father Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola spotted being picked up by Catalans president Joan Laporta at the city airport in April 2021, before holding talks about the striker’s availability.
The Norwegian’s representatives also held talks with Real Madrid in the same trip, while similar conversations also took place with several Premier League clubs.
The report adds that Barcelona will be looking to shift several attacking players to boost their chances of bringing Haaland to the Camp Nou, including Ousmane Dembele, Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay.
Spanish news outlet SPORT claim the goalscorer is key to the project at the Camp Nou
French forward Dembele’s contract expires at the end of this season and has been strongly linked with a free transfer to PSG or Chelsea, with Barcelona keen to shift his £200,000 a week wages off their bill.
Meanwhile, Depay and De Jong both arrived at Barcelona this season, but the club have since added attacking January arrivals Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Adama Traore, to their arsenal of young players such as Gavi and Ansu Fati.
Barcelona also reportedly feel that new sponsorship agreements will aid their bid to bring Haaland to the Camp Nou. The Catalans are close to confirming a £237m deal with Spotify, which would see their iconic stadium named after the music company.
The three-season deal would see the music platform blazed across the Barcelona shirts of both men’s and women’s teams as well as training gear but RAC1 are reporting that stadium naming rights are also part of the deal.
Barcelonaalso new sponsorship deals, like a £237m one with Spotify, can help sign Haaland
Despite the financial crisis at the Nou Camp, which saw them announce a £1.15billion debt last year, the LaLiga giants are continuing to attract widespread commercial interest. VeganNation and Polkadot were previously named as two of the heavyweight companies hoping to work with the club.
The two companies – that operate in the cryptocurrency market – offered Barcelona the largest sponsorship package in football. Added together, the overall worth of the sponsorships totalled more than €80million (£67m).
Meanwhile, Haaland complained last month about the pressure put on by current club Dortmund to either sign a new contract at the club or make a decision on what his next club is.
‘The last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Borussia Dortmund,’ Haaland told Norwegian broadcaster Viasat in January. ‘But now the club has started pressing me into making a decision.
Haaland claimed Dortmund are pressing him to make a decision amid interest from elsewhere
‘All I want to do is to play football, but they (Dortmund) are pressing me to make a decision now about my future. So that means I have to make a decision soon.’
However, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has responded to Haaland’s comments by insisting Dortmund are yet to open talks with the player, leaving them confused by his recent claim.
‘Erling’s statements surprised us a bit,’ the Dortmund chief told Kicker. ‘There is currently no deadline, no deadlines, and there have not even been any discussions.
‘But that we want and have to have talks at some point is clear, understandable and only professional.’
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