Barcelona may have to give up on signing €200m Man City player

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Erling Haaland of Manchester City reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Brentford FC at Etihad Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Manchester, England.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Robert Lewandowski is having a great start to this 2024-25 season. Since Hansi Flick’s appointment, the Polish striker has been playing at a very high level, and has also scored seven goals in eight La Liga matches, and another two goals in two UEFA Champions League matches.

However, he is already 36 years of age, and Barcelona will have to start planning for life after him sooner or later. For this purpose, there have been several candidates linked with the Catalan giants in the market.

But none of these options is as enticing to the club’s fans or the President, Joan Laporta, as the Manchester City forward Erling Haaland. He has been linked with Barcelona in the past, but the latest news from England indicates that he might not be planning to come to Spain soon.

According to SPORT, the Norwegian and his entourage are already engaged in negotiations for a renewal with the Manchester-based club. If successful, this renewal will extend his association with the Premier League side even beyond 2027.

However, even if the two parties arrive at an agreement, there will be some ways for Barcelona to get their desired forward. For instance, the Premier League is still investigating potential FFP breaches from Manchester City, and if the accusations are proven, the Citizens might have to part ways with some of their most important players, including Haaland.

Similarly, the report from SPORT also indicates that Haaland is looking to keep an escape clause in a potential new contract, which will keep him affordable for sides outside of England. The €200m-rated player has reportedly always liked the idea of playing in Spain and has also been linked with Real Madrid in the past.

But with Mbappe being the star forward in Madrid and Barcelona’s economic conditions making it difficult to incorporate him, Haaland might be looking to get a renewal with City to enhance his salary and bide his time till the road to Spain opens up.