Barcelona are reportedly ready to agree to making a transfer favour for superagent Mino Raiola in an attempt to improve the possibility of being able to sign Erling Haaland.
Haaland is set to be one of the hottest properties on the transfer market, with Borussia Dortmund set to sell him in the summer, having established himself as one of the best strikers in the world.
A number of top clubs are thought to be interested in signing him, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, while Barca are also eyeing a move.
But the state of the Catalan giants’ finances, coupled with their lowly position in the La Liga table, would appear to put them at a disadvantage compared to their rivals for Haaland’s signature.
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The Norwegian appears to be capable of transforming any club he joins into contenders for major trophies.
His goalscoring record is nothing short of astonishing, having struck 19 times in just 15 games in all competitions this season.
Those talents would certainly be much-welcomed at the Nou Camp, with Barca having lost their way since seeing Lionel Messi depart for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer.
Haaland could be the perfect signing to help to kickstart the managerial reign of returning hero Xavi.
And in an attempt to drag themselves back into the race, Barca could reportedly deal a favour to Haaland’s agent Raiola.
According to Sport, Barca club president Joan Laporta has developed a close relationship with Raiola, something he is looking to exploit in the transfer market.
It is stated that the ‘central focus’ is on bring Haaland to the Nou Camp, with Laporta ready to do anything to buy the striker.
That could include buying Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui, who is another of Raiola’s clients.
Mazraoui is enjoying a stand-out year in Amsterdam, scoring four goals and notching three assists to help Ajax to top spot in the Eredivisie.
Erik ten Hag’s side have kept 14 clean sheets in the 21 games Mazraoui has played in this term, which is of particular interest to Barca.
Their current first-choice right-back Sergino Dest has struggled defensively, with Mazraoui seen as an upgrade on the American.
With his contract at Ajax expiring at the end of the season, he would be an affordable target for Barca.
Dest could in fact be sold given his failure to impress new boss Xavi, with Mazraoui the top target to replace him.
If he was bought by the La Liga giants, such a transfer deal would serve two purposes – firstly upgrading at right-back but also helping to ‘convince’ Raiola to persuade Haaland to join them.
It will come as little surprise that Barca are pulling out all the stops in their attempts to sign a generational talent in Haaland.
And for Laporta, keeping Raiola on side could be key to gaining an advantage, with Barca no longer having the financial muscle to compete with their rivals in the transfer market.
