What Joan Laporta’s re-election means for Barcelona: Rashford, Messi, Yamal… | OneFootball

Joan Laporta has been re-elected as Barcelona president with a resounding 68 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s elections.

The 63-year-old defeated the challenge from Victor Font, who also lost out in Barcelona’s last presidential elections five years ago.

The alternative candidate had promised a fresh approach with a new team of sporting directors, but Barcelona will instead stay the course with their current president, who will serve a fourth term after previously serving from 2003 to 2010.

But what does Laporta’s re-election mean for the Catalan club? We’ve taken a look at the burning questions over Laporta’s next term at Barcelona.

Barcelona’s next No.9

Robert Lewandowski has been tight-lipped on his future. His current contract expires in June, but he reportedly has the option to extend and stay on reduced wages.

There’s reportedly interest from Italian clubs. We could certainly see him becoming Serie A’s next golden oldie, given that league’s rich history of veteran goalscorers.

Whatever happens next, we can safely assume that Lewandowski won’t be Barcelona’s main man next season. He’s finally slowing down, looking set for his lowest goalscoring return in 15 years.

Deputy Ferran Torres has an excellent goals-per-minute record, but there are serious doubts over his ability to be the club’s leading No.9.

So landing a new elite-level centre-forward appears to be top of Laporta’s priority list this summer.

Links to Julian Alvarez continue. The Argentinian World Cup winner recently refused to commit his future to Atletico Madrid, but signing him would surely stretch the limits of Barcelona’s financial resources.

You look around the rest of the market and options are limited. Erling Haaland would surely be out of reach. Harry Kane could be spectacular, but at 32 he wouldn’t be a long-term investment.

The likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Serhou Guirassy and Marcus Thuram raise more questions than answers.

Might Victor Osimhen, who has looked world-class at Galatasaray, be one to explore?

Marcus Rashford to stay?

It has long been reported that Barcelona intend to make Rashford’s loan permanent this summer.

With a reported €30million release clause, signing a proven player with 10 goals and 13 assists from relatively limited gametime seems an absolute no-brainer.

Although the fact that he’ll be 29 later this year and reportedly on sky-high wages complicates matters somewhat.

Laporta’s re-election suggests they’ll stick to the plan. It’ll be interesting to see whether Rashford can be convinced to reduce his wages, though. That potential sticking point still needs to be navigated.

More signings?

Barcelona aren’t out of the woods just yet when it comes to their financial issues.

Having recently signed Joao Cancelo, with Rashford and a new No.9 set to follow in the summer, that doesn’t allow a lot of wiggle room elsewhere.

RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande has established himself as one of European football’s most exciting prospects, and reports from Germany suggest that Hansi Flick is keen.

It’s difficult to see how Laporta could land the Ivorian winger’s signature without making sacrifices elsewhere, such as…

Departures?

Giving up on Rashford or making do with Torres in the short term would be two ways for Barcelona to balance the books and invest elsewhere.

But they could also make some sales.

There’s believed to have been some friction between Flick and the board over the decision to allow key defender Inigo Martinez to depart for the Saudi Pro League last summer.

Laporta’s presidency has seen fringe players like Marc Guiu, Chadi Riad, Julian Araujo, Alex Valle and Pau Victor sold to generate funds.

But you wonder if a more high-profile, big-money sale could be on the cards in year two. Making a hefty return on La Masia graduate Fermin Lopez would surely be tempting if the right offer arrives.

Lamine Yamal’s next contract

Laporta’s first stint at Barcelona saw the rise of Lionel Messi, the Argentine’s first Ballon d’Or and ascent to world-class status.

He built the foundations for the homegrown superstar to flourish and grow into the most important figure at the club.

Now history is repeating itself in Laporta’s second term and his legacy could be defined by how he handles Lamine Yamal’s future.

It was only last year that the teenager signed a bumper new deal committing his future at his boyhood club until 2031, so negotiating another extension is far from a priority.

But the question will come in Laporta’s next term. If he continues on his current trajectory, Yamal’s representatives will be well within their rights to demand one of the most lucrative deals in football history. Gulp.

Relationship with Lionel Messi

The most interesting subplot of this presidential race was the bombshell interview that Xavi gave, going out to bat for Font and revealing that Laporta blocked Messi’s return to the club in 2023.

“The president negotiated the contract with Leo’s dad [Jorge] and we had the green light from LaLiga financially, but it’s the president who pulled out,” the former Barca manager revealed.

“He told me that if Messi came back, he would make a war [against Laporta]. My interest is in telling the truth. Leo didn’t come because the president didn’t want him.

“It’s a lie to say it’s because LaLiga [wouldn’t allow it financially] or Jorge Messi asked for more money. It was the president and his people who said they could not allow it, that he [Laporta] has all the power and that Messi would handle that badly.”

Ooof.

Xavi’s gambit proved to be a swing and a miss, while Laporta has denied the allegation.

Messi himself has been silent on the affair, but he made an impromptu return to the Camp Nou last year and has publicly stated his desire to come back and “not just to say goodbye as a player”.

At this stage, while there have been quiet rumours of a loan from Inter Miami, we can surely rule out the prospect of Messi ever playing for Barcelona again.

But it’ll be interesting to see if Barcelona, under Laporta’s presidency, can arrange something to honour the club’s greatest-ever player after he didn’t get a proper goodbye – moving reluctantly to PSG after a final season in an empty stadium – back in 2021.

“It would be right that he has the best tribute in the world, and it would be wonderful to have it here, in front of 105,000 fans,” Laporta said last year.