Barcelona’s Sporting Director Deco recently addressed the growing speculation surrounding a potential move to sign Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, lauding the Norwegian as one of the few players who could eventually succeed their current striker Robert Lewandowski. With the January transfer window approaching, Haaland’s name has gained traction as Barcelona looks to add new talent.
Following Real Madrid’s acquisition of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer, Barcelona fans have been eager for an equally high-profile signing, sparking hopes of a move for Haaland. While Deco praised Haaland’s exceptional skills and accomplishments at City, he emphasised that Barcelona would need to assess the striker’s compatibility with the club’s long-term project before making any formal approach.
“First we have to know whether Haaland is what we want for the future. We don’t know that now. At the moment we don’t want any ‘nine.’ We have Robert [Lewandowski.] We are not planning anything with any ‘nine.’ It’s not a priority because we have to focus on this season,” Deco told El Mundo Deportivo.
“I think it’s very difficult to find a striker like Robert nowadays…There are one or two of this level. Maybe Haaland or another one. There are not so many of this level available. But we are not going to get hung up on finding any striker now because we are going to focus first on what Robert can do,” Deco added.
Haaland’s brilliance with City
Haaland’s transfer to Manchester City in 2022 was a pivotal career step, raising him from a promising Borussia Dortmund star to one of the world’s most feared attackers. His goal-scoring prowess has been crucial to Manchester City’s recent success under Pep Guardiola, including winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League in his debut season (2022-23). Haaland set a new benchmark with 36 goals in 35 Premier League games, breaking the previous record for most goals in a season. Across all competitions, he concluded his first City season with a remarkable 52 goals in 53 appearances, solidifying his status as a critical component of City’s success and one of the game’s elite players.
These exceptional achievements underscore Haaland’s potential as a marquee signing for Barcelona, should they pursue him in the future. However, Haaland’s contract with Manchester City runs through 2027, making a January transfer highly complex and likely requiring Barcelona to make a substantial financial commitment. Nonetheless, Deco’s comments indicate Barcelona’s interest and admiration for Haaland’s talent, even as they consider whether a player of his caliber fits into their long-term goals and current budgetary constraints.
