Joan Laporta faces a significant challenge in his bid to sign Erling Haaland. With an estimated cost of 150 million euros, the transfer of the striker would require a meticulous financial strategy. To finance this operation, the Barça president is considering the sale of two of his most valuable players.
Joan Laporta is aware that the main concern of the club in recent years has been the economy. Salary restrictions and the need to balance the books have forced the Barça board to make strategic decisions in the transfer market. The sale of Messi, for example, was necessary to balance the books. Now a similar scenario could happen again if FC Barcelona wants to sign Erling Haaland.
Joan Laporta's Strategy to Sign Erling Haaland: Two Departures Already Decided
Joan Laporta has expressed his intention to bring Barça back to the elite of world soccer. The transfer of Erling Haaland would be a decisive step in this direction. However, the high cost of the Norwegian forces the club to make bold moves to raise that amount. In this regard, Laporta has met with Deco to try to decide who should leave, and it seems that they've already made a decision.
In fact, just a few days ago, Deco gave an interview and pointed to Erling Haaland as Lewandowski's heir. "There are only one or two in the world like Robert Lewandowski and Haaland is one of them," he said. Therefore, Barça will try to sign the Manchester City number 9 with Joan Laporta and Deco at the helm in the not-too-distant future.
However, to achieve this, Joan Laporta needs to raise a large amount of money and has already decided who must leave. On the one hand, the first to be sacrificed is a center-back who has a lot of standing in the Premier League. On the other hand, a midfielder who refuses to renew his contract also has a lot of chances of ending up packing his bags.
Frenkie de Jong and Christensen: 120 Million for Erling Haaland
Frenkie de Jong, a 27-year-old Dutch midfielder, has been a key player in Barça's scheme. However, his market value, estimated at between 60 and 80 million euros, makes him an attractive asset for other European clubs. Selling Frenkie wouldn't only provide a considerable financial injection but also alleviate the wage bill of the team, allowing Joan Laporta to sign Erling Haaland.
Christensen, 28, has shown solidity in the culé defense. With a market value of between 30 and 40 million euros, his transfer would contribute significantly to the coffers of the club. Although his departure would imply the need to strengthen the defense, the priority of signing Erling Haaland justifies Joan Laporta's decision.
The departures of Frenkie de Jong and Christensen would have a notable impact and could leave 120 million euros to sign Erling Haaland. The Norwegian would bring exceptional goalscoring ability, compensating for the absences and raising the competitive level of the group. Economically, these sales would allow Joan Laporta to comply with financial regulations and keep a sustainable structure in the long term.