Barcelona target Erling Haaland as ‘dream signing’ for 2025 to counter Real Madrid

On Monday night, reports emerged claiming that Barcelona president Joan Laporta plans to make a move for Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland in 2026 in a bid to receive a boost for his presidential election campaign.

But, a fresh update from Mundo Deportivo now reports that Barcelona are not planning to wait until 2026 to go after Haaland. Instead, the 23-year-old Norwegian superstar is seen as a ‘dream signing’ for 2025.

Barcelona’s plans for Haaland

As per the report, Barcelona see Haaland as the heir to Robert Lewandowski, who will be 37 years old by the time the 2025/26 season rolls along.

The Poland captain has the provision to continue at Barça beyond 2025 if he plays a certain number of matches in the next season, but he will be in the final phase of his career at that time.

And even though Barcelona will have both Vitor Roque and Marc Guiu coming up, the consensus within the club is that they need a superstar striker to lead the team, coinciding with their economic recovery once Spotify Camp Nou is operational.

As such, Haaland has been identified as the ‘dream target’, not only to bolster their ranks but also to counter Real Madrid, who are set to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer.

The hope is to create another iconic rivalry like the one between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Haaland is Barcelona’s dream for 2025. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Factors that could help Barcelona sign Haaland

Given Barcelona’s current financial situation, any move for Haaland at this point is out of question. However, in 2025, the club believe that there will be multiple factors in their favour to go after the Man City superstar.

For starters, a return to Camp Nou would boost the club’s revenue streams again, which would help them address their economic issues.

Beyond that, club president Laporta has an excellent relationship with Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta, who even met with Deco only a few weeks ago.

It must also be noted that Pimenta’s partner in her agency, Maxwell, is a former Barça player.

Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City expires in 2025, and his exit could pave the way for Haaland to move on as well.

On top of that, the Cityzens are under investigation by the Premier League for multiple FFP breaches, which could lead to a huge sanction. October 2024 has been set as a deadline to reach a verdict, with an expulsion from the Premier League also talked about.

All these factors could contribute towards Barcelona getting their dream target at Camp Nou next year.