Barcelona wants to offload three 'important players' to make the signing of Haaland possible

Jan 12,2024

Barcelona, at the behest of president Joan Laporta, has a plan to acquire Erling Braut Haaland from Manchester City next summer. According to Spanish media, the 23-year-old striker is the club's top target and an essential part of the project to rejoin the European elite. However, Barcelona's pursuit of Erling Braut Haaland faces financial constraints, necessitating player sales before making the acquisition. President Joan Laporta is exploring the possibility of activating new financial levers to facilitate the transfer. In the summer of 2022, Barcelona took a significant step by selling a portion of its television rights for the next 25 years, providing immediate financial relief. To secure Haaland's arrival, the club reportedly plans to offload three players. One of the notable candidates is Jules Koundé, who has garnered substantial interest from the Premier League. Barcelona hopes to secure a transfer fee of approximately sixty million euros for the talented defender. Additionally, Raphinha, who has been delivering strong performances at the Spotify Camp Nou, is attracting attention from Premier League and Saudi Pro League clubs. Barcelona's leadership aims to negotiate a transfer fee in the range of forty to fifty million euros for the Brazilian winger. Furthermore, there is consideration of Robert Lewandowski's potential departure. The Polish striker was acquired from Bayern Munich last year for a substantial fee of 45 million euros and enjoyed a successful debut season. However, his performance in the current football season has fallen short of expectations, with the 35-year-old forward scoring 10 goals and providing 5 assists in 23 matches. Despite this, clubs in the Saudi Pro League maintain hope for his transfer. Barcelona is setting its sights on a minimum transfer fee of forty million euros for Lewandowski.