Barcelona are ready to rival Real Madrid in the race to sign Erling Haaland, with the Spanish side planning a 2025 move for the Manchester City forward.
Haaland had a spectacular first campaign at Manchester City to score 52 goals in all competitions last season, a return which helped Pep Guardiola’s side to a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.
The 22-year-old signed a five-year deal when arriving at the Etihad from Borussia Dortmund, but his current deal is understood to contain a release clause that will become active in 2025.
That situation has alerted Europe’s biggest clubs and 90min are reporting that Barcelona are ready to rival Real Madrid for the Norwegian’s signature.
Real Madrid have long been suggested as Haaland’s likeliest destination should he leave England, but Barcelona view the forward as a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who turned 35 last month.
Haaland’s release clause is said to be £150m (€175m) and Barcelona are positioning themselves to meet that figure when it becomes active in 2025.
City are working on an extension for Haaland that would make him the highest paid player in the Premier League, but there is no interest at present in extending his deal.
The player’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, told AS last year that he is keen to ensure the power remains in his client’s hands.
“When a player goes to a club, I do all I can to create a situation where the key is in their hands,” he said.
“If tomorrow, you don’t want to be there anymore because you don’t like it, or if they don’t pay you well, or if your wife wants to live in Paris, well, you go, no?
“I don’t like it when the player has no freedom to decide. I have done all the contracts in this agency in 25 years. All of them. There wasn’t a single time when a player said ‘I want to go’ and they could not do it.”
