Barcelona presidential candidate negotiates Erling Haaland buy clause with Manchester City | OneFootball

Barcelona have plans to sign a new striker this summer, with Robert Lewandowski poised to leave at the end of the season. The veteran number nine is unlikely to be offered a new contract before his current deal expires in June, and arrangements are already being made for a replacement to arrive at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Work has been somewhat slowed down in recent weeks due to the ongoing presidential election, which concludes this weekend. Despite this, Victor Font – who is up against Joan Laporta in the vote – is trying to plan ahead for being sworn in, as his team are looking to sign Erling Haaland early as the summer.

As per Sport, Carles Planchart and Xavier Aguilar, who are leading members of Font’s team, held talks with Manchester City officials on Wednesday. Their aim has been to secure a preferential buy option for Erling Haaland, which would give Barcelona the edge in signing the Norwegian superstar when the time comes for him to leave the Premier League giants.

Haaland has also attracted strong interest from Real Madrid, but Font wants to put Barcelona ahead of their Clasico rivals in the race to sign the Man City number nine. He’s aware that a deal anytime soon will be difficult due to the 25-year-old having a contract until 2034, but when he does become available, the Catalans could be ready to pounce.

Haaland move is latest in Font’s big plans for Barcelona

If Font’s team are able to reach an agreement with Man City before this weekend’s vote, it could sway some members to side with him instead of Laporta. This week, he has also promised to bring back Pep Guardiola as the club’s manager when the time comes, and given how big these names are, it could be convincing for some to go for him as Barcelona’s next president.