Mino Raiola is not your standard player agent and on Thursday decided upon a well publicised tour across the Iberian Peninsula. First stop for the Italian agent was Barcelona where he held a meeting with new FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta before flying to the capital to meet with Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez. His Spanish tour was much criticised by many given the situation in Spain with the covid pandemic with most citizens subject to severe restriction of movement. Business trips are an exception to the rule with the 53-year-old anxious to talk shop over a potential destination for his star striker Erling Haaland.
Barça financial issues
Joan Laporta was upfront with Raiola and confirmed that Barça were very much interested in the striker but advised about the club’s delicate financial situation and that the Catalan outfit are also considering the likes of Memphis Depay or Agüero, as alternatives with Inter’s Lautaro and Lukaku also being considered.
Riaola met with a similar response at Manchester City recently, where the Premier League side are looking for a forward to replace Kun Agüero with Dortmund set to ask for €180 million for Haaland’s signatire with a salary that, they consider in England, could be in the region of €36 million gross per season.
“All clubs are suffering financially and we’re no exception” stated City boss Guardiola relating to the impact of the pandemic and it very much remains to be seen if any leading European sides are currently prepared to shell out both the fee and hefty wage packet for the in-form Norwegian.
For Real Madrid, Haaland is still one of their future priorities and they do not want to lose out on the striker, hence, taking advantage of the fact that Haaland Sr and Raiola were in Barcelona, they organised a meeting with both on the same day to discuss the future of the player.
BVB: “Haaland is going nowhere”
Borussia Dortmund wasted no time in making a statement after Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge and his agent Mino Raiola were reported to be in Barcelona to have a chat with Camp Nou president over the in-demand Norway striker’s immediate future. Dortmund sporting director reiterated the Bundesliga club’s stance that Haaland, a target for Barça, Real Madrid, and Manchester City, would be going precisely nowhere this summer.
