Man City FFP outcome ‘crucial’ as Nike ‘puts up’ £126m for Barcelona to sign Haaland
Nike’s collaboration with Barcelona will allow the La Liga giants to attempt to raid Man City for Erling Haaland in the summer, according to reports.
The Citizens have made a good start to the new Premier League campaign with the defending champions winning five and drawing two of their first seven matches.
One of the biggest reasons for that form has been Haaland with the Norway international scoring a stunning ten goals in those seven games.
His goalscoring record of 101 goals in 108 matches for Man City and 256 goals in 308 career appearances means he is one of the best strikers in world football, if not the best.
It has not been all good for the Citizens, though, with an independent commission are currently looking into the 115 charges against Man City over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules.
The hearing, which started in mid-September, is expected to take 10 weeks with the independent commission’s verdict not expected until the new year.
The club deny any wrongdoing and have previously said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their stance.
Man City’s financial affairs have come under regular scrutiny since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
In 2020 they were banned from European competition after being found guilty of breaking UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, but successfully challenged that ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
And now reports in Spain insist that the outcome of the hearing will be ‘crucial’ if Barcelona want to land Haaland next summer with potential sanctions meaning he ‘could arrive’ at the Camp Nou ‘at a much more reasonable price’.
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Barcelona have been struggling to keep their finances in order in recent years but Nike have ‘put up the money’ to sign Haaland after ‘collaborating’ with the Catalans.
A new deal between Barcelona and Nike of around €140m a year ‘will allow the Catalans to consider the arrival of a galactico’ next summer.
Man City striker Haaland ‘has been one of the great desires of the president [Joan Laporta] in recent years, although it was an unattainable objective due to his high cost’.
Haaland ‘has left the door open to his possible departure from Manchester City in June’ with no news on whether Pep Guardiola will stay on at the Etihad Stadium or not.
The report adds that ‘this could lead the 24-year-old striker to decide to leave the Premier League and land in La Liga, a competition that he has always said appeals to him enormously, and in which he would love to try his luck.’
It would cost Barcelona €15om (£126m) to land Haaland and the Catalan giants ‘would be the only option that the winner of the Golden Boy in 2020 would have in mind right now’.
