Erling Braut Haaland had been reported to be leaning towards a move to La Liga — by that, one can assume Real Madrid or Barcelona — over the Premier League, and according to Catalunya Radio, his agent, Mino Raiola, has apparently told Barcelona that Haaland sees Spain as his next destination once he leaves Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona would undoubtedly love to bring Haaland to Camp Nou, but given the club’s current financial difficulties, they would apparently favor signing him in 2022, when his €75m release clause becomes active. Any club wanting to sign Haaland this summer will need to pay upwards of €150m to BVB, in addition to €40m to his agents and entourage. (Ed.note: Mino’s gotta eat!)
Barcelona have reportedly promised Haaland that he will become the focal point of their new project, and they are willing to make him the highest paid, or the second-highest paid player on the roster, depending on Lionel Messi’s future. Barca are aware that they cannot compete with Real Madrid financially at this point, and are hoping that Los Blancos’ interest in Kylian Mbappé will see them cool their interest in Haaland. From Dortmund’s perspective, they are already aware of Raiola’s activities, and are used to it since they have dealt with his antics in the past, as per kicker.
While Chelsea appear to be well behind in the “Haaland race”, we are reportedly at the forefront of another centre forward pursuit. According to the Daily Mail, Sergio Aguero wants to continue his career in England, and that has made the Blues the favorites for his signature. Aguero feels that he is not yet done with the Premier League — one wouldn’t be surprised if he’s looking to break Wayne Rooney’s all-time goals record — and wants to remain in the country where he arrived a decade ago, rather than move to Barcelona or PSG.
Chelsea are one of the few clubs who could match Aguero’s current £13m annual salary, and while Liverpool and Manchester United could also pay his asking wages, the former are not prioritizing a move for a forward, and Aguero doesn’t want to play for the latter given the rivalry with City. According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), Chelsea will also face competition from Juventus, who are looking at the 32-year-old as a replacement for Chelsea-linked Paulo Dybala.
Chelsea lead the race to sign Sergio Aguero | @DominicKing_DM https://t.co/2VyByjVEHA
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) April 2, 2021