Transfer Centre

Barcelona's Joan Laporta 'dreaming' of ambitious deal for Man City attacking duo

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 27 June 2024

Double trouble: Man City duo are 'dream' targets for Barcelona president

Barcelona chief Joan Laporta is reportedly eyeing up an ambitious deal for two Manchester City attackers as he bids to strengthen his presidential campaign in 2026.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly eyeing up an ambitious double deal for Manchester City attackers Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.

Both Alvarez and Haaland moved to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2022 and have since played important roles in the Citizens' recent success.

The attacking duo were part of Pep Guardiola's squad that won a historic treble in 2022-23, before helping City secure an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season.

Alvarez joined the Citizens for just £14m from River Plate and has since recorded 36 goals and 18 assists in 103 appearances across all competitions, contributing with 19 goals and 13 assists in 54 games last season.

The 24-year-old has been given his fair share of minutes under Guardiola, but he has predominantly played second fiddle to Man City's leading marksman Haaland, who has scored an impressive 90 goals in 98 appearances since joining from Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland has broken a plethora of scoring records during his time with the Citizens and has won the Premier League Golden Boot in each of the last two seasons, scoring 63 goals in the process, to help fire Guardiola's side to top-flight glory.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta during the press conference on April 17, 2023 © Reuters

Laporta dreams of signing Alvarez, Haaland

Man City are thought to have no interest in parting ways with either Alvarez or Haaland, who are under contract at the Etihad until the summers of 2028 and 2027 respectively.

However, both attackers have been linked with a possible move away from Man City. Alvarez has allegedly attracted interest from Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, while Haaland is believed to be a long-term target for Real Madrid.

Alvarez and Haaland are also on the radar of Barcelona, as Sport claims that president Laporta is 'dreaming' of signing both players in the near future.

The report states that Laporta has ambitions of 'splashing' the cash on marquee signings as he bids to strengthen his campaign to be re-elected as Barca president in 2026.

Laporta was first elected as Barca president in 2021 and oversaw the departure of club icon Lionel Messi in the same year, with the Catalan giants unable to renew the attacker's contract amid their well-documented financial concerns that still exist.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring with Matheus Nunes and Julian Alvarez on March 6, 2024 © Reuters

Can Barca realistically sign Alvarez, Haaland?

Laporta is said to be 'convinced' that Alvarez would 'fit like a glove' into Barcelona's project, while Haaland is believed to be keen to play in Spain at some stage of his career.

However, the prospect of signing either player from Man City, let alone both, in the near future is slim to say the least considering Barca's financial problems and need to balance their books.

La Liga's new 1:1 spending cap rule only allows the Catalan giants to spend €1 for every €1 they recoup this summer, meaning the sale of first-team players is required if new head coach Hansi Flick wishes to strengthen his squad.

If Barcelona are able to generate significant sums from player sales in the coming years and turn their financial fortunes around, then targeting high-profile names such as Alvarez and Haaland - both under the age of 25 - could become a realistic possibility.

Barca are allegedly set to sell fringe player Mikayil Faye to Porto, while a host of first-team stars including Ilkay Gundogan, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo have all been linked with a summer exit.