When Manchester City announced in January that Erling Haaland had signed a nine-year contract extension keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2034, it felt like the final word in football’s most sought-after striker’s future. It was supposed to be the deal that ended all speculation, the deal that tied down the Norwegian goal machine through his prime years, the deal that showed the football world that Haaland was not going anywhere. But in football, nothing is ever final, and nothing is ever truly silent. Even with a contract that stretches into the next decade, even with wages of £400,000-a-week and release clauses removed, Erling Haaland is once again at the centre of transfer storms, because in Spain the obsession with him has never ended, and in Barcelona their president Joan Laporta is dreaming of a move that would shock the sport to its very core.
The rumour began quietly, but like wildfire it spread across Europe. Reports in Spain said Barcelona’s president has made Haaland his absolute priority, calling him the player who can return the club to greatness, the forward who can succeed Robert Lewandowski, the man who can wear the famous number nine shirt and become the leader of the new Barcelona era. It does not matter that Haaland has already scored 129 goals in Manchester City colours, it does not matter that he just moved past 90 Premier League goals with a brace in the Manchester derby against United, it does not matter that he smashed five goals for Norway in an 11-1 thrashing of Moldova. The obsession from Barcelona is so deep that they believe one day Haaland might ask to leave City, and when that day comes, they want to be ready.
For Laporta, this is personal. Barcelona once chased Haaland before he signed for City, but their financial struggles meant they could not compete with the package City offered. They watched from afar as Pep Guardiola’s side activated the Borussia Dortmund release clause for £51 million in 2022, and they watched as Haaland exploded into English football, breaking records, smashing defences, winning a treble in his first season, and becoming the most feared striker on the planet. For Barcelona, missing out on Haaland was not just a transfer failure, it was a symbol of how far they had fallen behind their rivals. But Laporta is convinced that the story is not over, and that the future can still belong to Barcelona if they bring Haaland to Camp Nou.
The timing is deliberate. Robert Lewandowski, the Polish striker who has carried Barcelona’s attack since arriving from Bayern Munich, is reaching the final chapter of his career. His contract expires at the end of this season, and while he still delivers goals, the club knows they cannot build the future around him. Ferran Torres has filled in as a striker and done well, but Barcelona’s leaders do not see him as the permanent solution. They want a superstar, a phenomenon, a player who can match Real Madrid’s star power, and for them only one name is big enough: Erling Haaland.
Inside the Camp Nou offices, the plan is being drawn. The year 2026 is seen as the moment to strike. By then, Barcelona believe Haaland could consider a change. They know he has committed his future to City, but they also believe players as ambitious as him sometimes want new challenges, new adventures, new mountains to climb. They point to history: Luis Figo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, stars who wore the shirt and changed the club’s fortunes. For Laporta, Haaland is the next in that line.
But this is not just about Barcelona. Across Spain, Real Madrid still watch closely. Florentino Perez has always admired Haaland, and there were years when the debate in Madrid was whether to chase Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland. In the end they gambled on Mbappe, but the interest in Haaland never disappeared. Madrid believe that one day, the rivalry between Barcelona and themselves will once again be defined by the biggest stars, and Haaland remains on their radar.
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The idea of both Spanish giants fighting for him excites some and terrifies others. In Manchester, the idea is rejected completely. Pep Guardiola has no intention of losing his striker. Sources around City have made it clear: Haaland is untouchable, he is the face of their future, the leader of their next generation, the man they will build around even as Kevin De Bruyne approaches the later years of his career. They did not give him a nine-year contract just to entertain rumours, they gave him that deal to send a message that he is staying.
And Haaland himself has shown no signs of discontent. On the pitch, he continues to destroy defences. Against Manchester United in the derby, he scored twice in the second half to silence Old Trafford and remind the world of his dominance. For Norway, he scored five goals in one game, as if to prove that even at international level he cannot be stopped. His numbers are staggering, his hunger is endless, his future looks locked down. But football is not logical. Football is emotional. Football is political. And that is why Barcelona believe they still have a chance.
They talk about obsession because for Laporta this is more than just signing a player. It is about legacy. Barcelona are still scarred from the years of financial crisis, from losing Lionel Messi, from watching Madrid lift Champions Leagues while they struggled. Bringing Haaland would change everything, not just on the pitch but off it. It would bring sponsorships, global attention, shirt sales, it would restore pride. And when a president becomes obsessed, sometimes football reality bends around that obsession.
Still, the obstacles are huge. Haaland’s contract runs until 2034, and it has no release clause. City would demand a world record fee, and Barcelona’s finances are already stretched. The wages alone, £400,000-a-week, are difficult for them to match. Many experts believe it is impossible, that the obsession will end in frustration. But others point to Barcelona’s history of pulling off the impossible. They signed Neymar when nobody thought they could. They signed Lewandowski when the finances were in crisis. They always find a way.
For City fans, the rumours are both annoying and familiar. They have lived with constant speculation ever since Haaland arrived. Madrid links, Barcelona links, even PSG at one point. Every time he scores, every time he breaks a record, the rumours grow louder. But the fans believe in the contract, they believe in the project, and they believe Haaland is happy. They see him celebrating with teammates, they see him smiling with Guardiola, they see him adapting to leadership roles. He is not just scoring goals, he is becoming the symbol of the team.
But for rivals, the rumours bring hope. Hope that City’s dominance could one day weaken. Hope that the goals could dry up if Haaland leaves. Hope that the balance of power could shift. And that is why every whisper about Barcelona’s obsession makes headlines across the world.
This week, the timing of the rumour was almost cruel. Just as City celebrated Haaland’s brace against United and looked ahead to the Champions League clash with Napoli, the Spanish reports reminded them that the battle for his future is far from over. Guardiola was asked about it and brushed it aside, but he knows better than anyone how transfer sagas can twist and turn. He saw it with Messi at Barcelona, he saw it with Neymar, and now he sees it with Haaland
In the end, the truth is simple. Haaland is the most valuable striker in world football. He is young, he is proven, he is a machine, and every giant club wants him. Contracts, wages, loyalty, none of it can stop the speculation. And as long as Barcelona’s president remains obsessed, the rumours will not go away. Whether 2026 brings a real attempt or not, the dream in Catalonia lives on, and the anxiety in Manchester continues.
So the question is not whether Barcelona want Haaland. The question is whether Haaland will ever want Barcelona. For now, he seems locked into City’s world, breaking records, chasing titles, hunting Champions League glory. But football changes fast. A bad season, a new ambition, a different project, and suddenly everything can be different.
That is why the rumours matter. Because they remind everyone that no player is ever completely safe, no contract is ever completely unbreakable, no story is ever completely finished. And with Haaland, the story is only just beginning. He may stay at City until 2034, he may one day walk out at Camp Nou, he may even surprise the world with a move elsewhere. But whatever happens, the obsession around him proves one thing: Erling Haaland is not just a player, he is the future of football, and everyone wants him.
