Transfer Talk: Haaland excited to join Xavi’s Barca project
Julien Laurens doesn’t think anyone is playing better than PSG’s Kylian Mbappe right now. (1:14)
The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
The 2022 summer transfer window will undoubtedly focus on two main players. One is Paris Saint-Germain‘s Kylian Mbappe and the other is Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland.
The latter looks set to be part of a transfer race between a number of clubs amid reports of a €75 million release clause that becomes active once the window opens.
Among those sides are Barcelona, who Sport reports Haaland prefers as potential destination out of all his suitors.
The report claims that the Norway international is hoping to be a part of the rebuilding project at the Camp Nou, with a young and improving squad and the chance to be coached by Blaugrana legend Xavi Hernandez.
The Catalonian side have managed to improve their fortunes drastically since the new manager came in, moving up to third in LaLiga after a perilous start.
Despite the financial implications of signing Haaland during their ongoing financial crisis, the report claims the club have several contingency plans to get a deal done.
If they cannot manage to land him, another report from Sport claims that they have backup strikers in their sights. Alexander Isak, Darwin Nunez, Karim Adeyemi, Patrik Schick and Andre Silva are all listed as potential targets.
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– Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could be set to leave the club as a free agent in the summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Old Trafford. And, according to Rudy Galetti, he could make a shocking return to the club where he made his breakthrough. The reporter states that Juventus have made a contract offer for the 28-year-old, with negotiations moving swiftly.
– Jude Bellingham has seen a meteoric rise to stardom in football, making the £30m move from Birmingham City to Dortmund in 2020, where he has continued to improve. And now, according to a report in the Sun, Jurgen Klopp is keen on bringing the 18-year-old to Liverpool. The midfielder won’t be available easily though, with Dortmund said to value the England international at over £100m.
– Continuing on the trend of Dortmund starlets, AS reports that striker Youssoufa Moukoko is open to leaving the club in the summer. The forward was, at the time, the youngest player to ever debut in the Champions League at just 16 years old. Now 17, and with few chances to break into the first team, Moukoko is looking to make the move away and will not renew his current deal that expires in 2023.
– Tottenham Hotspur are set to offer striker Harry Kane a new contract at the end of the season if they achieve Champions League football, says Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast. The 28-year-old, who recently broke Thierry Henry’s record for Premier League goals scored, is out of contract in 2024 and Spurs are hoping to keep him on longer. The England captain was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City last summer, but is said to be enjoying life under Antonio Conte.
– Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio is set to extend his stay with the Bianconeri with a new contract, reports Calciomercato. The 29-year-old full-back has often been used as a rotation option at the club this season, but with his current deal expiring in the summer, the Serie A club have moved to keep him at the club for the future.