Barcelona has apparently worked up a three-man back-up list, led by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, in case they miss out on Erling Haaland to Manchester City.
If they fail to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland this summer, Barcelona will reportedly switch their focus to Mohamed Salah.
The Liverpool striker is said to be at the top of the Blaugrana’s three-man backup shortlist, as the cash-strapped Catalan club fears Manchester City may overtake them for Haaland’s signature.
Salah scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday, despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
The Egyptian attacker is in the final 15 months of his current Afield contract, and talks about extending it have stalled due to his allegedly high wage demands.
If their attempts to lure Haaland to the Nou Camp fail, it has now been revealed that Barcelona may try to take advantage of his contract standoff.
Salah of Liverpool is said to be their first-choice back-up option, one of three high-profile names on their striker reserve list, according to the Spanish site.
Barcelona is reported to be willing to pay roughly Ā£55 million for the 29-year-services old’s this summer, since his current contract expires in June 2023.
According to the report, the La Liga club would then be willing to pay Salah Ā£84 million over the next four years.
If they are unable to sign the Liverpool attacker, two other names are in the running to lead Xavi’s line next season.
Another alternative attracting Barcelona’s attention is Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, who, like Salah, is out of contract next summer and has yet to sign new terms.
Xavi admires the prolific Pole, who, despite turning 34 this summer, is a striker who is far from finished, having recently scored 40 goals for the seventh consecutive season.
With Barcelona allegedly aware of competition from PSG for Lewandowski, Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku is the third and last choice on their backup list.
The Belgian striker just returned to Stamford Bridge last summer in a Ā£97.5 million deal from Inter Milan, but he has been linked with a move away ever since.
“This is not the time to rule out signings for next season,” Barcelona director Mateu Alemany stressed. We work as quietly as possible.”