Mino Raiola: "Haaland to Barça? - fake news...'"
The Norwegian striker's agent refuted claims by Josep Maria Minguella and pre-candidate Emili Rousaud, telling 'Sport1' that nobody has been in contact with him.
Erling Haaland's name has cropped up several times during the presidential preliminary campaign at Barcelona. Josep Maria Minguella, adviser to Emili Rousaud, and Barça's0 future sporting vice-president if the Els Millors group wins the upcoming elections, claimed that the striker will join the Catalans if Rousaud becomes president on 24 January. The Haaland claim was the first bombshell of the electoral pre-campaign - Minguella announced that he has a pre-agreement in place with Haaland to join the azulgranas, causing a frenzied reaction from Barcelona's fanbase.
However, the player's agent Mino Raiola soon put a stop to the euphoria. "It's fake new! I have never spoken to any presidential candidate at FC Barcelona, not about Erling Haaland or any of my other players, and nor will I," the agent told Sport1. Raiola did however leave the door open for possible future negotiations regarding the players on his books: "When the new president is elected in January, then they can call me".
Haaland is one of Real Madrid's big objectives - the club has spent several months devising an plan which they hope will bring the striker to the Bernabéu. Madrid are treating Barcelona supposed interest with calm - and even more so now following Mino Raiola's comments.