Joan Laporta has spoken about Barcelona’s reported pursuit of Erling Haaland, suggesting they have not opened negotiations with the Borussia Dortmund striker.
In a statement to several media outlets, as quoted by Spanish publication MARCA, Joan Laporta has talked about Barcelona’s reported pursuit of Erling Haaland. The Barcelona president has said that the Catalan giants are not talking to the Borussia Dortmund goal machine while adding that the only negotiations that will happen will concern the Bundesliga giants.
Erling Haaland has taken no time to establish himself as one of the best strikers in Europe. The Norwegian striker first burst onto the spotlight in the first half of the 2019/20 season, scoring goals for fun for Red Bull Salzburg. And since joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, the 21-year-old has transformed into a goal machine.
Haaland has a staggering tally of 80 goals and 21 assists in 79 appearances for Borussia Dortmund and has been one of the best players in Bundesliga over the last two years. But the Black and Yellows could lose the services of the youngster in the summer transfer window, with several high profile clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, keen on signing him.
The interest from Barcelona stems from the absence of a long-term solution to spearhead their attacking unit. While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been sensational since his winter arrival from Arsenal, the former Borussia Dortmund striker is on the wrong side of 30 and only a short-term solution for Barcelona.
Laporta: "I deny that there has been any negotiations for Haaland."
Was there a meeting with the player and Xavi?
Laporta: "That does not concern me." pic.twitter.com/IEqt5Uf9Ai
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) March 5, 2022
Beyond Aubameyang, Xavi has Luuk de Jong and Martin Braithwaite at his disposal. But neither player might be around by the time the 2022/23 season begins, prompting Barcelona to enter the market for a striker. To that end, Haaland has emerged as a viable target for the Blaugrana, who have reportedly tabled an offer for him. But Joan Laporta has denied that any negotiations have taken place thus far.
“At Barcelona we haven’t been negotiating with the player. When we have to negotiate, we will do so with Borussia Dortmund, if the circumstance arises,” Laporta said before being asked about the reported meeting between Xavi Hernandez and Haaland, adding, “It’s none of my business. I’m talking about the negotiations. There have been no negotiations with Haaland.”
“If we negotiate, we would negotiate with Borussia Dortmund. We are working on many players who can improve the squad next season according to what the coach, the coaching staff and the director of football say, but we don’t negotiate with players. There has not been any kind of negotiation with Haaland.”
Laporta’s comments directly contrast to recent widespread reports, which have claimed that the Catalan giants have intensified talks with Haaland. So it remains to be seen if Haaland ends up joining Barcelona as the summer transfer window approaches.
