EXCLUSIVE: 'Barcelona are back!' - Barca's plan to sign Haaland and Saliba revealed

Steve Kay

• 21 Jun 2024 12:00 BST
• 3 min read

Exclusive

Barcelona are plotting an ambitious project over the next three years to attract leading stars such as Erling Haaland and William Saliba to Camp Nou.

The Catalans side have been in the financial doldrums in recent years, forcing them to work on a shoestring budget as they attempt to keep pace with rivals Real Madrid. This is evidenced by their struggle to secure Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who is available for just €55 million currently.

But Barca believe that a lucrative kit deal with Nike will help them back to a position of financial power.

READ MORE: Euro 2024 top scorers

STATS

Erling Haaland

F (CRL)

Man City

Erling Haaland

F (CRL)

Man City

All Tournaments

2023/24

• 45

  Games

• 38

  Goals

• 6

  Assists

View all stats

As one source close to the club told FootballTransfers: “Barcelona are back!”

The ultimate aim of this deal is to broker moves for superstars like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Arsenal’s William Saliba, though clearly there is no immediate solution for Hansi Flick’s side.

President Joan Laporta believes the catalyst to the club’s revival will be a kit deal with Nike that will pull in over €150m per season.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals

Ambitious deals

According to sources, this will provide the cash injection to attract Haaland and Saliba to the club.

Barca want Haaland to fill the gap left by Lionel Messi when he moved to PSG in the summer of 2021. The Nike money is being earmarked to cover his transfer fee and wages, with the Norway international having refused to commit his long-term future to City, where manager Pep Guardiola has hinted he could leave next summer.

Saliba, meanwhile, is seen as a long-term solution to Barcelona’s defensive issues.

Current ETV

William Saliba

D (C)

Arsenal

William Saliba

D (C)

Arsenal

€58.8M

ETV Range

€44.1M - €73.5M

View full profile

Nevertheless, a move for the Frenchman appears to be a longshot given Arsenal’s vision of the 23-year-old as a cornerstone of their future.

These deals hinge on the future of the players’ respective managers. If both remain in post, Barcelona’s task of luring either player away will be tricky, particularly in the case of Saliba.

Barcelona, though, are aiming high for the future, not just on the field, but commercially, too, and their Nike deal is evidence of what smart business practice could do for the first team.