Barcelona have a plan B ready in case Erling Haaland pursuit fails

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has made it clear that signing Erling Haaland for next term is at the top of his priority list. The rapid-fire exits that the club is currently negotiating are to free up the wage bill and to gather funds to complete the signing of the Norweigan superstar. 

erling haaland possible transfer to manchester united

The Borussia Dortmund striker has been sensational for the former Bundesliga champions, netting 79 times from only 78 appearances while also registering 21 assists. With that said, Haaland has been on the radar of many elite European clubs. The likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and rivals Real Madrid are also in the race to sign the 21-year-old. 

Barcelona are tipped to be one of the favorites to sign Haaland if they do manage to find the necessary funds for the operation. This is because there have been numerous reports in recent times indicating that the player prefers a move to Spain over England. Moreover, it is understood that if Kylian Mbappe does join Real Madrid, Haaland is likely to go to Barca as his ambition is to spearhead a sporting project.

While Barcelona start on the back foot when it comes to economic grounds, the club knows that some exits will have to be made if they are to stay in contention to sign the Norweigan striker. 

If not Erling Haaland then who?

Diario Sport understands that Barcelona have identified Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland. The Swedish striker was one of the breakout stars in the Euro 2020 and is already an experienced La Liga campaigner at the age of 22. The Swede has played 88 games in the Spanish top-flight for Real Sociedad and has managed to score 30 times. This season has not been to the 22-year-old’s liking as he has found the back of the net only 4 times from 17 appearances. 

Isak has a release clause of €90 million and a contract that runs until 2026. Therefore it is highly sensible to assume that Sociedad would not want to part ways with Iska for anything less than €90 million, especially when it is a direct rival that comes asking for him. 

The 22-year-old is a gifted striker with loads of potential but he needs to work on consistency. Inconsistency has been the only drawback of the former Borussia Dortmund man’s gameplay thus far. 

Is Alexander Isak the only alternative that Barca have in mind?

The source adds that Barcelona also have their eye set on Dusan Vlahovic and with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham also said to be interested in signing the 21-year-old, it could boil down to who offers the largest cheque to Fiorentina. The player’s value for the summer market is said to be around €60 million but that is likely to go up. 

Alexander Isak

Finally, the source concludes that Barcelona will get a clear indication of which option to pursue by April. Team-Haaland is already said to have begun their talks with potential suitors to reach a verbal agreement and by April, one can get a clear idea of where the Norweigan striker will be headed for the next term, thus outlining the summer transfer plans for all the teams in the race.

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