Xavi has fueled rumors about the possible arrival of Erling Braut Haaland. The Barcelona coach is again asked about Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian goal machine during the press conference for the Europa League match with Galatasaray and then reacts cryptically. “I haven’t seen a single player say ‘no’ to Barcelona,” said Xavi.
L’Esportiu de Catalunya wrote on Tuesday that Xavi and sports adviser to Barcelona Jordi Cruijff had secretly agreed with Haaland, who is recovering from a thigh injury in Munich. Xavi did not agree with the reporting the day before the LaLiga game against Elche (1-2 win) last Saturday. “I cannot give details,” he told the press present. “All I can say is that we are working for both the present and the future of the club.”
A day before the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Galatasaray, the Barca coach is equally cryptic about Haaland while passing up an opportunity to quell ongoing speculation. “I haven’t seen a single player who said ‘no’ to Barcelona,” Xavi said during a press conference. “If you can talk to every player, you tell him what we have here, what our way of playing and training is… we let him know that this is the best club, the city is great.”
Haaland made his breakthrough on the European podium in 2019 with Red Bull Salzburg. It earned him a transfer for 20 million euros to Borussia Dortmund a year later. Since then, the Norwegian striker’s reputation has only grown, scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for BVBand Barca are one of the many top clubs reportedly eager to sign him in the summer.
Dortmund has repeatedly expressed a desire to keep the 21-year-old goal-scoring machine after the season, as his current contract does not expire until 2024.
Haaland admitted, however, that he has not been able to fully concentrate on football due to the ‘pressure’ the German club has placed on him to make a decision about his future.
Haaland spoke candidly about it on Norwegian TV in January. “In the last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Dortmund and all the supporters. I’ve had everyone in the world talk and I just want to focus on football, but I can see the club pushing me to get things going. I really just want to play football, but they force me to decide things. They put me under pressure, so I probably have to get something going soon.”