‘Barcelona & Madrid are too poor’ – Clasico duo ruled out of Haaland chase

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:39 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes says that Barcelona and Real Madrid can’t afford to sign Erling Haaland.

The Spanish giants are in the race to buy the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid – and both clubs recently held talks with Haaland’s father Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola about the striker’s future.

READ MORE: The 50 biggest transfers ever – will Haaland join the top three?

But questions have been asked as to whether Barcelona and Madrid can afford the astronomical outlay required to sign Haaland.

It has been estimated that between a transfer fee of around €150 million, a five-year contract worth €60m gross and commission of €40m, it would cost the buyer up to €500m in total.

With Barcelona in a well-publicised economic crisis and Madrid not the healthiest financially, either, can the Clasico duo find the funds?

According to Scholes, no they can’t.

Haaland: Statistics in 2020/21

“You think of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and all those noises that you hear, but they probably couldn’t pay that money,” Scholes told BT Sport.

“Man City don’t look like they want to pay that money. And Pep Guardiola hardly ever plays a number nine, anyway.

“Even when he had Aguero and Jesus fit, he’s hardly played them, so is that the type of player Guardiola wants? I’m not sure it is.

“Man Utd and Chelsea are probably the two clubs who I think could afford to pay that this summer.”

PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus have all been linked with Haaland in addition to the Premier League giants, but the trio are all considered unlikely destinations right now.

Haaland’s current club Dortmund are struggling to qualify for the Champions League as they are seven points off fourth place in the Bundesliga with only six games left.

Failure to make the Champions League will likely make it very difficult for Dortmund to retain their star striker.