Erling Haaland is ready to sign a new Manchester City contract but only if it includes a release clause and Barcelona are keeping close tabs on his situation – but will have to part ways with an important player to have any chance of signing him.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also big admirers of the Norwegian international and would jump at the chance to sign him should he become available.
Haaland’s current deal with the Cityzens lasts until 2027 but Pep Guardiola and his team are keen to tie him down to a long-term contract as soon as possible.
Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Haaland is open to renewing. However, negotiations are currently at an impasse, as he wants a £100m release clause inserted into his contract.
Man City, however, want any release clause to be much higher, as they know that they would almost certainly lose Haaland as clubs would be happy to pay £100m to bring him in.
Negotiations between Haaland and Man City are set to continue in the coming weeks and all parties are hopeful of reaching a compromise soon.
Barcelona are one of the clubs who want to put themselves in a good position to sign Haaland, but we understand a move for him in 2025 is very unlikely.
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Barcelona must offload Lewandowski to sign Haaland
Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Barcelona would have to offload several players in order to be able to afford a future move for Haaland.
The first that would have to leave is Robert Lewandowski. He is on a huge wage of over £250,000 per week at the Camp Nou, which changes from season to season, and is under contract until 2026.
Lewandowski is unlikely to leave Barcelona before 2026 and give up his mammoth salary, which therefore blocks a large portion of the club’s wage bill.
Barcelona would be willing to offer Haaland a slightly higher salary than the £550,000 per week he currently earns with Man City, but that would only be possible if Lewandowski departs.
The Catalans would also have to sell other players so they can afford Haaland’s transfer fee. We understand that the likes of Andreas Christensen, Ansu Fati, Jules Kounde and Frenkie de Jong could be sold to fund a move.
Barcelona have made signing a new striker one of their top priorities but for this summer, they are focused on more affordable options for now.
Sporting director Deco is keen to sign Lille star Jonathan David as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he could be available on a free transfer.
Barcelona are also keeping tabs on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but they face competition from Arsenal and Manchester United for him.
Haaland will remain on Deco’s shortlist but a move in 2026 is the most likely option as they’ll almost certainly be unable to offload Lewandowski before then.
Man City target Karim Adeyemi
Meanwhile, Man City are looking to bring in attacking reinforcements of their own and reports suggest that Guardiola wants to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi.
Liverpool are also interested in the talented 22-year-old, who can play as a winger on either flank or as a striker.
Dortmund are usually open to selling their best players if they can make a big profit, as shown by the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Jude Bellingham, Haaland and Jadon Sancho moving on previously. As such, Man City should be able to prise Adeyemi away from the German giants if they submit a major offer.
For now, Adeyemi remains fully focused on Dortmund and has no immediate desire to leave, but that could change if Man City or Liverpool come calling.
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IN FOCUS: Lewandowski vs Haaland
Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, stats from last season
