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Barcelona’s new president Joan Laporta will reportedly rival Real Madrid in their bid to sign David Alaba and Erling Haaland this summer despite the staggering debt figures he will inherit at the club.
Laporta, who was president from 2003 to 2010, won a second term Sunday through an overwhelming electoral victory, with 54 percent of the 55,611 votes cast.
His main priority lies in trying to keep Lionel Messi beyond this summer, but Spanish media AS reports that the 58-year-old lawyer has already met with Bayern Munich defender Alaba’s agent and is a big fan of the forward of the Borussia Dortmund Haaland, with great interest in bringing both Bundesliga players to Barça.
However, despite the club’s gross debt of € 1.2 billion (£ 1 billion) and € 266 million (£ 222 million) payable to various financial institutions by June 30, Laporta will owe Meet with creditors to renegotiate repayments.
AS is published with the headline ‘The Fight Starts’ in reference to Laporta targeting Alaba and Haaland in a bidding war with fierce rivals Real Madrid and his counterpart Florentino Pérez.
The report details that Laporta met with Alaba’s representatives, Pini Zahavi and Fali Ramadani, last Wednesday, with the lawyer maintaining a good relationship with Zahavi in particular.
The Austrian has already confirmed that he will leave the Allianz Arena on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Laporta is also said to have a ‘fluid relationship’ with superagent Mino Raiola, who represents the Norwegian hitman Haaland.
Alaba and Haaland met at the weekend, when Bayern beat Dortmund 4-2 despite the 20-year-old forward’s first two goals.
The newspaper also compares the situation to the beginning of Laporta’s first term, when he campaigned with the promise of taking David Beckham to Camp Nou, but instead went to Madrid, and Barça brought in Samuel Eto’o.
The club’s captain, Messi, was among the 50,000 members who voted in Sunday’s elections.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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