Erling Haaland

[gregorrin10]

I still think he's going to end up at City.

We need to try to sign Salah. He's been hinting at playing a new club and it seems like his contract talks with Liverpool are at a standstill.

If we can get Salah + Raphina for around 100m we would be incredible on top of adding Kessie, Christensen and Mazraoui too.

Both Salah and Raphinha is impossible and also why would we? They play in the same position. If Salah leaves, Raphinha will be exactly his replacement, Liverpool will surely go for him. I hope we act fast, go and get Raphinha though, and Salah can stay at Pool or go to PSG or wherever, cause Raphinha would fit us much more, on the pitch and off it (wage structure intact), and he'd be a brilliant signing for us, Xavi would also love him, and his agent is Deco so I wouldn't expect any or at least much less problems there than with Haaland or Salah, who would break our wage structure.

 

[gregorrin10]

Real will buy Mbappe but Haaland would be probably the better option. Why? Because Vini is playing on left side where Mbappe needs to play so one of them (it will be Vini) has to play on right side which isnt their natural position. Benz is good but already 33, they will need a replacement for him.

So Mbappe on a free to us? Although we already have Ferran and Fati for those positions, so...sorry Kylian.

 

[JamDav1982]

You are conflating a lot of things.
Some useful distinctions:

1) Buying a big star DOESN't EQUAL creating a big star out of your own ranks
2) Spending money to strengthen the squad DOESN't EQUAL buying Galacticos. The criteria are much more strict in what constitutes a Galactico
3) Offering things on the pitch is one thing, and what happens with the status, authority, wages, influence on way of playing and all that baggage that comes with marquee signings is another thing.

finally, taking examples from Barto's stint does not prove a thing, because Barto distorted Barca way and ideology, simple as that.



PS: I don't get why everyone here quotes the failed Ibra transfer to prove something that is not the case.
Yes, it was a lot of money for a move that Pep himself corrected just 1 year after by booting him, but he was never gonna be the star of the team to begin with.
Mistakes happen, and that move was not typical or exemplary of Barca's transfer policy

Having the biggest star in world and adding two more stars is having stars in same team. Where first one came from is irrelevant.

To make out that Barca philosophy has never been about star names is ignorance.

The point about Ibra is that Cruyff pushed for him. Cruyff signed stars together in his Barca side. Think he has a grip on the philosophy fine enough.

There is nothing at all to back up your claims that stars together suits Real and not Barca. That is just some cover for when likes of Mbappe/Haaland do well together.

You still dont seem to realise what the actual galactico era was and both Barca and Real have had their biggest success in recent years with multiple expensive star players.

 

[khaled_a_d]

I don't think it was just a PR sunt, since it doesn't do Laporta or the club any good if he knew already that Haaland was not going to come and still tried to appear to have pursued him. Basically making the fans hopeful, only to be told "no" later. It makes no sense to do that. He already learned his lesson from the episode with Messi.

Wasn't it confirmed the meeting between Xavi and Halaand? Along Jordi& Laporta meeting with Raiola (that could involve other players too)
I think it is fair to say we have actually gone long ways to get him, whether it worked out or not I think we tried.

 

[JamDav1982]

Wasn't it confirmed the meeting between Xavi and Halaand? Along Jordi& Laporta meeting with Raiola (that could involve other players too)
I think it is fair to say we have actually gone long ways to get him, whether it worked out or not I think we tried.

That meeting with Xavi never happened... of course Barca were happy to make out it did.

Raiola and Haaland snr flying to Barca is not great stretch and club would never turn that down.

 

[Birdy]

Having the biggest star in world and adding two more stars is having stars in same team. Where first one came from is irrelevant.

To make out that Barca philosophy has never been about star names is ignorance.

The point about Ibra is that Cruyff pushed for him. Cruyff signed stars together in his Barca side. Think he has a grip on the philosophy fine enough.

There is nothing at all to back up your claims that stars together suits Real and not Barca. That is just some cover for when likes of Mbappe/Haaland do well together.

You still dont seem to realise what the actual galactico era was and both Barca and Real have had their biggest success in recent years with multiple expensive star players.

Dude, Barca had the most successful team of its history with 9 or 10 starters coming from La Masia.

Then I am telling you one more time, you are using the term 'star player' in an very openly defined sense to suit your argument.
Example:
Galactico/Marquee signing is : Both Kaka AND CR7 to RM in 2009
Galactico/Marquee signing is NOT: Dani Alves to Barca in 2009, Eto'o to Barca in 2004

Then you count these guys as 'stars' because they turned out to be pretty damn good for our playing style and football.
They were NEVER marquee signings to begin with, and their status and wages AT THE TIME of their transfer confirms that.

Barca always bought players to strengthen the squad in key position. Barca's ideology is not comprising a collection of Galacticos as is RM's.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I don't know about that. I see Laporta a pretty stubborn man and president.

If he didn't, then Laporta is seriously delirious: How the heck is it going to serve himself any good if he knew something was not going to happen and he tried to appear to pursue it anyways?

What he did with Messi already made many folks upset. I don't get his purported logic.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Wasn't it confirmed the meeting between Xavi and Halaand? Along Jordi& Laporta meeting with Raiola (that could involve other players too)
I think it is fair to say we have actually gone long ways to get him, whether it worked out or not I think we tried.

Yeah, I am pretty sure we tried and have been told no, either by Haaland or La Liga (which by the way told us that any deal we strike with CVC must not be different from what the other clubs got).

 

[Catta]

Barcas most successful team was in 2009, and we had 6 starters from La Masia.

VALDES, Alves, PIQUE, PUYOL, Abidal, Yaya, XAVI,INIESTA, MESSI, Etoo, Henry.

9 or 10 was always a dream, that never became reality.

 

[JamDav1982]

Dude, Barca had the most successful team of its history with 9 or 10 starters coming from La Masia.

Then I am telling you one more time, you are using the term 'star player' in an very openly defined sense to suit your argument.
Example:
Galactico/Marquee signing is : Both Kaka AND CR7 to RM in 2009
Galactico/Marquee signing is NOT: Dani Alves to Barca in 2009, Eto'o to Barca in 2004

Then you count these guys as 'stars' because they turned out to be pretty damn good for our playing style and football.
They were NEVER marquee signings to begin with, and their status and wages AT THE TIME of their transfer confirms that.

Barca always bought players to strengthen the squad in key position. Barca's ideology is not comprising a collection of Galacticos as is RM's.

Again.... I said the la masia era was a one off that wont be repeated.

Barca as Cruyff knew always went for the big names and did in Peps time and before when needed.

Last succesful teams was made up of stars playing together and Barca/Real are no different on that front.

Kaka got injured and Real with two most expensive players in the world in Bale and Ronaldo won 4 CLs in 5 years so can rethink that one.

There is many ways to build a winning team. You are deciding to make up an argument as if saying buying star names is only way.

La Liga won 5 CLs in 5 seasons through expensive star names who gelled.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Barcelona always had an attacker who carries ton of load, who is a superstar player.
Other than Messi, I fail to see which one we "made" tbh.
Neymar, Suarez, Villa, Henry, Eto, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Romario, Kluivert etc were all big and marquee signing.
Has been that way for few decades, way before we had the La Masia rush.

We tried to make our own superstar again with Fati and Dembele, failed miserably with both.

 

[Vladinho]

If he didn't, then Laporta is seriously delirious: How the heck is it going to serve himself any good if he knew something was not going to happen and he tried to appear to pursue it anyways?

What he did with Messi already made many folks upset. I don't get his purported logic.

It's just my opinion now that we seem out of the race. I don't say he did not try at all, but if he knew from the start that the chances are very slim...still, he instilled in the media that we have a real shot at the deal to happen, just to boost the PR a bit. Personal and Club's. Again, this is the way I see it

 

[iniestaGOAT]

Barcelona always had an attacker who carries ton of load, who is a superstar player.
Other than Messi, I fail to see which one we "made" tbh.
Neymar, Suarez, Villa, Henry, Eto, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Romario, Kluivert etc were all big and marquee signing.
Has been that way for few decades, way before we had the La Masia rush.

We tried to make our own superstar again with Fati and Dembele, failed miserably with both.

Please. XAavi Iniesta never needed anybody to carry them.

 

[iniestaGOAT]

I don't know about that. I see Laporta a pretty stubborn man and president.

Every Barca preisdent try untill the last moment and go to extreme lengths to get their star. Excetpt barto. He simply didnt care.

 

[Raketa10]

Dude, Barca had the most successful team of its history with 9 or 10 starters coming from La Masia.

Then I am telling you one more time, you are using the term 'star player' in an very openly defined sense to suit your argument.
Example:
Galactico/Marquee signing is : Both Kaka AND CR7 to RM in 2009
Galactico/Marquee signing is NOT: Dani Alves to Barca in 2009, Eto'o to Barca in 2004

Then you count these guys as 'stars' because they turned out to be pretty damn good for our playing style and football.
They were NEVER marquee signings to begin with, and their status and wages AT THE TIME of their transfer confirms that.

Barca always bought players to strengthen the squad in key position. Barca's ideology is not comprising a collection of Galacticos as is RM's.

We didn't have as many stars as RM but every strong team we had was always upgraded with at least one superstar. People tend to forget that apart from GOAT Messi we had other superstars like Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ibra, Henry, Laudrup, Stoickov etc.