Mendieta: Erling Haaland could join Barcelona amid FFP charges

Former Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta believes Erling Haaland could seek a move away from Manchester City if the club fails to deliver major trophies, tipping the striker as a perfect tactical fit for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.

City, who have been deemed guilty of 114 out of 115 charges by the Premier League, face the potential of damning sanctions including transfer bans, points deductions, and potentially relegations.

And while Mendieta insists that while any deal for the Norwegian forward would carry an astronomical price tag, Haaland’s relentless ambition means silverware will always dictate his long-term future.

Haaland’s future will be ‘interesting’ claims Mendieta

“Erling Haaland’s future is interesting’, he told Casinolyze Let’s see how things pan out at Man City and whether it turns out to be successful. Players like Haaland want to win trophies,” Mendieta said. “I agree that if he moves, which could happen, the price tag will be massive, certainly not below a hundred million. That is just the way it is.”

Weighing up a potential move to La Liga, Mendieta feels Barcelona would offer a better environment for Haaland’s playing style than rivals Real Madrid.

“In terms of where I see him, I could imagine him at both Madrid and Barça,” Mendieta explained. “However, I sense that Barça’s style would be better for him, and perhaps better for the club too. The way he makes those runs and his power in the box suits the Hansi Flick style quite well.”

While emphasizing that a departure isn’t imminent, the Spaniard warned that Haaland won’t hesitate to move on if City’s trophy output stalls over the coming years.

“We are talking about something quite far down the line, but if things don’t work out at City this season or over the next couple of seasons, he is still very young and very ambitious,” Mendieta added. “He won’t want to stay at a club where they aren’t winning trophies.”