Could we see Erling Haaland play for Barcelona at some point in his career?
The Manchester City man talisman - ranked at No.10 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League strikers of all time - has enjoyed another glittering start to the season, having netted 15 goals in 16 games so far.
But it is his future away from the Etihad Stadium that continues to dominate the headlines, with a move away from City being mooted and Barcelona being hinted as a possible destination.
Barcelona director Deco reveals his transfer plan for Erling Haaland
Asked recently if any other forwards would perhaps be interested in a move to Nou Camp, Victor Gyokeres was ruled out, but Barcelona director Deco did have some words to say on a potential switch for Haaland.
“There are only one/two strikers like our Robert Lewandowski… and Haaland is one of them,” he said as relayed by Evening Standard.
Deco quickly retracted his original statement, adding: “First of all, we should check if Haaland is what we need for our project. We’re not working on strikers as of now as we’ve [Robert] Lewandowski. We will see at the right moment.”
Haaland has seen a slight decline in his standards as of late, with the Sky Blues having lost four consecutive games in all competitions. The 24-year-old scored 10 goals in his first 5 Premier League outings but has now notched just two in his last 6.
"The numbers are ridiculous," said Guardiola earlier this season. "He can compete in terms of goals with Ronaldo and Messi. It is an incredible strength for us and we are very happy to have him, hopefully, he can be here for many, many years."
The former Borussia Dortmund man also scored for Norway on Thursday, as they ran out 4-1 winners against Slovenia in their last UEFA Nations League outing.
In FourFourTwo's view, Haaland is likely to remain at Manchester City until his contract expires in 2027. Unless a huge offer arrives from Spain or even Saudi Arabia, we can't see him in a Barcelona shirt just yet.
Manchester City are back in Premier League action after the international break, as they take on Tottenham Hotspur.
