Barcelona

Barcelona target Chelsea trio in plan to sign Erling Haaland


Barcelona are targeting low-cost defensive and midfield signings this summer — including a trio of Chelsea defenders — in order to go all out for Erling Haaland, sources have told ESPN.

Barca know the competition for Haaland will be fierce, with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain also in the running for the Borussia Dortmund man, but president Joan Laporta is determined to bring a star striker to Camp Nou. If they miss out on Haaland, other options will be explored.

– ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more

Haaland, 21, is expected to leave Dortmund this summer when a release clause reportedly worth around €75 million kicks in. Laporta has already held several meetings with the forward’s agent, Mino Raiola, to broach a potential deal.

Coach Xavi Hernandez also wants to strengthen the side at the back, so to save money for a forward, Barca have contacted players whose contracts are expiring with their respective clubs within the next 18 months.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Sources have confirmed to ESPN that they have sounded out moves for at least five players, including Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso. Azpilicueta and Christensen could sign for free in the summer, but Alonso still has one year to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

ESPN first revealed Barca’s interest in Azpilicueta, 32, in November. Club sources are “optimistic” of finalising a deal for the Spain international in the coming months.

The potential arrival of Azpilicueta could be linked to Sergino Dest’s future, too. Barca were open to offers for the United States international in January and his performances between now and the end of the season are likely to dictate his future at the club.

With Dani Alves suspended for the next two league games and not registered for the Europa League, Dest could feature in Barca’s next four matches, a double-header against Napoli in Europe and league games at local rivals Espanyol and Valencia.

Barca almost signed Alonso in January 2021 after he fell out of favour under Frank Lampard. However, the appointment of Thomas Tuchel and Barca’s failure to move on Junior Firpo mid-season ended negotiations.

Valencia’s Jose Gaya, who also has one year left on his terms, remains Barca’s top target to provide competition for Jordi Alba at left-back, though, ahead of Alonso.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Elsewhere, initial talks have also taken place regarding a move for Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, who’s in the final six months of his deal in Italy, although some sources suggest a deal is proving difficult. Other midfield options are also on the table.

Barca’s gross debt stood at around €1.4 billion when Laporta returned to the presidency last March, but a €500 million loan enabled them to redistribute that debt over a longer length of time, while they’ve also knocked a significant amount of money off the wage bill through player exits and salary reductions.

Philippe Coutinho agreed a substantial wage cut to join Aston Villa on loan, while Samuel Umtiti also took a hit to his immediate salary as part of a contract extension in January. That allowed Barca to make four signings last month, including spending €55m on Ferran Torres.

Meanwhile, the club hope to announce a new sponsorship deal with Spotify in the coming days, with several players also set to leave in the summer, all factors which would help raise funds for the signing of a top-level No. 9.



Source link

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Click to comment

You May Also Like

Barcelona

Lyon booked a meeting with Barcelona in Bilbao on May 25 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final by winning 2-1 in Paris to...

Arsenal

Bukayo Saka played a key role as leaders Arsenal gave their Premier League title hopes a major boost with a rollercoaster 3-2 win at...

AC Milan

AC Milan are expected to face competition in their pursuit of Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix this summer. According to a report, the Premier League...

Barcelona

Fridolina Rolfo fired home from the penalty spot with 15 minutes to play to complete the defending champions’ fightback and seal a 2-1 aggregate...

Copyright © 2023 Football Reporting

Exit mobile version