Man City star Haaland one of ‘two media coups’ Barcelona plan to reopen Spotify Camp Nou
Barcelona president Joan Laporta will do everything in his power to convince Man City striker Erling Haaland to join Barcelona, according to reports.
The Norway international has made a brilliant start to the new Premier League season with ten goals in seven matches for the Citizens.
His goals have helped Man City make an unbeaten start to the campaign with Pep Guardiola’s side currently one point behind leaders Liverpool.
But there is lots of uncertainty at Man City with the Premier League champions currently at the centre of a hearing into 115 charges leveled against them over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules.
There has been speculation that, if found guilty, the Citizens could face a points deduction, relegation or even expulsion and that has led to rumours about the future of Guardiola and some of their players.
Haaland is one of those players who’s been linked to other clubs with the 24-year-old already winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League in his first two seasons in England.
There have been rumours that Barcelona will use their new deal with sportswear giants Nike to pursue Haaland, while there has been interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
And now Spanish publication Sport claims that Barcelona president Laporta sees Man City superstar Haaland as one of ‘two media coups’ in time for the reopening of the Spotify Camp Nou.
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The Catalan giants have held ‘more than one meeting’ with Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta over a potential deal and Laporta ‘not only maintains the desire, but is willing and convinced to go with everything and until the end, with all his strength, for the centre forward’.
It is understood that ‘the relationship between the Barca president and Pimenta is very fluid’ with ‘a lot of trust between both parties’, which is seen as a plus in favour of a move to Barcelona.
The report also claims that the current hearing into Man City’s 115 charges over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules and Guardiola’s potential departure could play into Barcelona’s hands.
Haaland remains ‘Laporta’s big wish’ but they are also keen on bringing Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams to the new Camp Nou, which could be open with a reduced capacity in late 2024 or early 2025, before being completed in the summer of 2026.