Do Barcelona really need Haaland? Aubameyang is world class

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 4 min read

Barcelona’s pursuit of Erling Haaland has dominated the headlines over the past fortnight.

It was reported last week that the Blaugrana had moved ahead of Real Madrid and Manchester City in the race for the Borussia Dortmund hitman, who will leave this summer when his €75 million release clause is activated.

Haaland is said to have met Barcelona coach Xavi in Munich, with the Catalan press even claiming that a deal had been agreed.

However, as FootballTransfers reported earlier this week, Barcelona have since pulled out of the deal after Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola requested a two-year contract for his client.

Haaland is now expected to join either Madrid or Man City.

Based on Sunday’s Clasico, Barcelona are in no desperate need for Haaland.

Xavi’s men confirmed their stunning form in 2022 by completely dismantling their bitter rivals in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu.

They dominated the ball and territory, pressed high up the pitch to harry Madrid out of possession time and again, and created chance after chance.

They deservedly broke the deadlock on 28 minutes as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed past Thibaut Courtois from Ousmane Dembele’s cross.

Aubameyang could have had a hat-trick by half-time as he was twice superbly

denied by Courtois.

The Gabon international – along with Dembele, who assisted Ronald Araujo to double the lead before half-time – caused Madrid all kinds of headaches.

Aubameyang then bagged an assist just one minute into the second as he delivered a delightful back-heel to Ferran Torres, who curled into the top corner.

Soon after Auba scored his second goal of the game. He ran onto a through ball and lifted the ball effortlessly over the onrushing Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to make it 4-0.

Aubameyang thus continued his magnificent start to his Barcelona career.

He joined Barca on a free transfer in January, having been frozen out of the squad at Arsenal for disciplinary reasons.

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There have been many reports that Aubameyang had a big falling-out with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

He had been the best-paid player at Arsenal on £350,000 per week but was so desperate to leave he agreed to reduce his salary to make the move to Barca.

His goal in the Clasico means he now has nine goals in 11 games for Barcelona, with all of these coming in his last eight matches.

Right foot, left foot or with his head, Aubameyang is a constant goal threat.

As he has stressed himself this week when admitting that he is trying to convince Dembele to stay at the club, he enjoys a telepathic relationship with his former Dortmund teammate. No player has assisted Aubameyang more during his career than Dembele.

Aubameyang may be 32 but he is still a class act. There is no need– as Joan Laporta has said himself – for Barcelona to put their financial future at risk in order to sign Haaland.

In Aubameyang, they already have a world-class striker.