Man United playmaker on Barcelona radar as Haaland alternative

Barcelona have made Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes their prime target in case they fail to land Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland in the summer, reports the English news outlet, The Sun.

After a solid start to his new life in Manchester, Fernandes has struggled for goals since scoring his first hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Leeds in the opening fixture of the 2021-22 season. The Portuguese has managed a solitary goal involvement in his last eight league outings, and The Sun says he could be on his way out of Old Trafford.

Barcelona are closely monitoring the happenings. And although their number one target is still Haaland, they won’t shy away from moving on in case a deal for the Norwegian collapses. 

In the face of financial trouble, Barcelona are planning to go big in the market. They have already acquired Ferran Torres from Manchester City for a reported €55 million fee, including €10m in add-ons. And despite the fact that the Spaniard is still not registered as a Barcelona player, Haaland is being touted as the new big signing.

The 21-year-old Norwegian has a €75 million release clause that will allow him to leave Dortmund at the end of the season and Barcelona are thought to be the frontrunner in a multi-horse race.

According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, via BBC, Barcelona are in the midst of finalising a loan from the American investment bank Goldman Sachs of €1.5 billion. The amount will be an add on to the €595 million they got from the bank in the past. Around €1.3 billion will cover the debt while the rest will be invested in the stadium renovation.

“How do they get Haaland? They get rid of a bunch of players and Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest, Clement Lenglet, Frenkie de Jong, Martin Braithwaite, Oscar Mingueza, Luuk de Jong are for sale and then they’re able to bring in someone. It’s complicated, but not impossible,” Balague said.

He further added that although Haaland will get more money in the English Premier League, the striker’s preference is to join a Spanish team.

“The relationship between [Haaland’s agent] Mino Raiola and Laporta is very close. If the money is there they [Barcelona] would be considered and in exchange, Laporta would sign some of Raiola’s young players,” Balague added.

With regards to the Bruno Fernandes speculation, he remains a far-fetched option not because Manchester United will want big bucks for his signature but also because he is not a centre forward like Haaland.