La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly working on the deal to sign 24-year-old Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, but they must sell multiple players to land him.
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Erling Haaland is the subject of interest from Barcelona. However, the Blaugrana cannot sign the Manchester City striker before the 2026 summer transfer window, and they must offload multiple players before affording a move for him. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old wants a release clause worth £100 million in his new contract with City, with Real Madrid also keen on securing his services.
The meteoric rise of Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has been one of the best players in the world in the last half a decade. Born in Leeds, he spent his formative years in Norway, graduating from the youth division at Bryne FK. However, after a spell with Molde FK, he rose in prominence during his short stint with Red Bull Salzburg.
The 24-year-old earned a move to Borussia Dortmund in January 2020 after his exploits with Red Bull Salzburg, with the Black and Yellows beating stiff competition for his signature. However, Haaland has scaled unprecedented heights in the last four and a half years, scoring goals for fun during his spells with Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
The Norwegian striker has been hot off the blocks this term, amassing 11 goals in nine outings across all competitions, including ten strikes in six Premier League appearances. However, Haaland’s spell with Manchester City might end in a few years, even though the Premier League champions want to tie him to a new contract. The goal machine is a target for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
La Liga move on the horizon?
Erling Haaland has been on Real Madrid’s radar for a long time. Los Blancos signed Kylian Mbappe in a Bosman move this past summer, while Endrick should be a long-term solution for the reigning La Liga champions. However, the Manchester City talisman remains a target for Real Madrid.
As for Barcelona, they view Haaland as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski. However, the Polish striker will unlikely leave before 2026, and Barcelona cannot afford to keep both attackers. While the Catalan giants are ready to offer a deal with slightly better terms than his current £550,000-a-week wages, they must offload multiple players to be in a position to land the Manchester City talisman.
So, while they work on the deal to sign Haaland, he might sign a new contract with Manchester City, although he wants a release clause worth £100 million in the deal. Meanwhile, the Premier League champions are bracing themselves for approaches from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
