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ERLING HAALAND could make a sensational transfer to Barcelona if Joan Laporta becomes the president, Paul Pogba’s brother has claimed.
The Borussia Dortmund striker, 20, is one of Europe’s hottest properties because of his stunning goalscoring form.
Erling Haaland could be on his way to Barcelona if Joan Laporte wins the presidential election at the Nou CampCredit: Reuters
He has 33 goals in 32 appearances for the German side since joining in January and has attracted plenty of attention from Real Madrid.
But as reported by Le10 Sport, Mathias Pogba – three years older than Paul – revealed the Barca presidential candidate’s plot to land Haaland.
That is due to Laporta’s close relationship with the Norwegian’s agent Mino Raiola, who also looks after the £89million Manchester United midfielder.
The 30-year-old older Pogba, a striker at Racing Murcia after spells in Britain, said: “Raiola leaves freedom to his players.
“Of course, especially since Dortmund is a good club, but Barca is Barca.
“So if he wants to pass a milestone… With a Real-Barca duel, it is sure that Raiola will have an influence.
“He’s his player, so if he gets along well with the president, it will be easier for Haaland.
“The presidential elections in Barca will therefore have a huge influence on this issue.”
Twins Florentino, left, and Mathias, right, with Manchester United midfielder and younger brother Paul PogbaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Barcelona are in turmoil at the moment with Josep Maria Bartomeu pushed out as president and his successor not yet voted on.
But the club also have plenty of issues to resolve including their mounting debt and the future of captain Lionel Messi.
Selling previous No9 Luis Suarez helped save some cash but they know Haaland will not come cheap, especially with Real Madrid lining him and Kylian Mbappe up as part of a new Galactico era at the Bernabeu.
Erling Haaland will be the best striker in the world More
BAYER LEVERKUSEN winger Leon Bailey says his new son Leo Cristiano is not named after Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
The Jamaican claims the baby’s name is ‘nothing to do with football’ despite the obvious similarities.
Leon Bailey says his and partner Stephanie’s son Leo Cristiano is not named after Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi
The winger has faced questions because of the obvious similarity between the namesCredit: AP:Associated Press
Leon and long-term partner Stephanie celebrated the birth of their first child in June.
And having called the little lad Leo Cristiano, he has obviously faced a lot of questions.
But the 23-year-old has quashed such suggestions, insisting it was a personal choice.
He told German outlet Bild: “It has nothing to do with football, but with me and my name.
“Leo is an abbreviation of Leon. And Leo is the lion – I am a lion.
“I believe that my son will also grow up with the mentality of being a fighter and a leader.
“And Cristiano is a lovely name that goes well with Leo.”
Jamaica international Bailey is also close friends with Raheem Sterling and Usain Bolt.
The forward attended Manchester City ace Sterling’s Great Gatsby themed 25th birthday last December.
And he was also at Bolt’s surprise birthday bash in August which drew criticism in Germany because the sprint legend was forced to isolate the day afterwards.
But Bailey does not regret the decision to celebrate with his good pal.
He added: “Usain has been a very good and close friend of mine for years.
“When in Jamaica I would never turn down an invitation from him.
“He’s a kind of mentor for me, was always there for me in good and bad days.”
Heartbreaking moment Maradona’s daughter Dalma breaks down in tears after touching Boca Juniors tribute More
RONALD KOEMAN is formulating his January wishlist with Shkodran Mustafi one name being eyed by the Barcelona boss.
Injuries to two stars will dominate the Catalans’ transfer business with centre-back Gerard Pique and striker Ansu Fati out until the spring.
Shkodran Mustafi has been linked with a move to BarcelonaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Antonio Rudiger of Chelsea is also struggling for first-team opportunities in EnglandCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Memphis Depay is reportedly still Koeman’s preference for a new attacker.
But the club’s desperate financial situation, plus the wealth of other options available to the coach, may make the Dutchman’s switch unlikely.
Pique’s injury, Ronald Araujo’s absence, Samuel Umtiti’s long-term knee problem and a recent knock to Clement Lenglet may see a centre-back favoured.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Koeman has told the club that former Barcelona academy star Eric Garcia is his preferred target.
Manchester City put up a considerable fight to keep the Spaniard in the summer and may continue to do so, even if he can leave for free when his contract expires in June.
Should Garcia remain out of reach, a defender with top-level European experience is thought to be the objective.
Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi and Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger are named as two alternatives.
Neither player is prominent in their manager’s thoughts with Mustafi limited to Europa League outings following his disastrous Premier League return against Leicester.
Likewise, Rudiger has been regularly benched by Frank Lampard with just one league outing to his name.
Vital in any Barcelona bid is the upcoming presidential election, taking place on January 24.
Eric Garcia is thought to want to leave Manchester CityCredit: AP:Associated Press
Tuesday’s Mundo Deportivo highlights Barcelona’s continued desire for the youngster
The new chief could decide to forego the club’s ailing economics to oversee a spending spree in the final days of the window.
However, Koeman has been getting on relatively well without Pique and Fati.
Academy prospect Oscar Mingueza, 21, stepped into the defence for the 4-0 wins over Dynamo Kyiv and Osasuna.
And unwanted forward Martin Braithwaite has also made his mark, netting three goals in the past week.
⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates
Watch Messi and Maradona’s eerily similar goals for Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys as Barcelona star honours icon More
BARCELONA turned down a £225million Inter Milan bid for Lionel Messi in 2006, according to their former club president Joan Laporta.
The Catalan politician served as the club’s chief between 2003 and 2010, and is currently in the running to return to the position following Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation.
Messi was already hot property back in 2006Credit: AFP – Getty
Former chief Joan Laporta served as Barcelona’s president between 2003 and 2010Credit: EPA
And as Laporta, 58, steps up his campaign to return, he has inevitably been asked about the future of unhappy talisman Lionel Messi – leading to a stunning admission.
He told Radio Onda Cero: “Nobody who loves Barcelona can have doubts about Messi.
“I hope I can be named president and then I’ll speak with him.
“We rejected a €250m (£225m) offer coming from Inter in 2006. [Massimo] Moratti wanted to bring him to his club.”
The offer dwarfed what was the transfer world-record at the time, which was then the £46.6m that Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
At the time, inspired by the likes of Javier Zanetti, Adriano and Luis Figo, Inter had just won Serie A – while Messi had picked up his first Champions League medal with Barca.
The Argentine, now 33, has gone on to pick up three more – but not since 2015.
And Laporta has outlined his plan to return the club to former glories, starting by sorting out their ailing finances.
The transfer record was previously held by Zinedine Zidane at £46.6mCredit: AFP
He continued: “We have a plan to recover the dramatic economic situation of the club.
“We can’t fix the world but we can make it a better place and we want to do it through hard work, passion and love.
“We want to bring happiness to people, it’s not an electoral promise. It’s an ethical, civic, moral commitment.”
Key to restoring the feel-good factor at Barca will be getting Messi back onside, with the frustrated six-time Ballon d’Or winner out of contract in the summer, having tried to leave this year.
Fans have picked up on the superstar’s ‘lonely’ body language – while Manchester City privately believe that they are in pole position to reunite Pep Guardiola with his best-ever player next season.
Watch Messi and Maradona’s eerily similar goals for Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys as Barcelona star honours icon More
EDEN HAZARD could miss the rest of 2020 after suffering yet another injury at Real Madrid.
The Belgian, 29, was forced off the field during Real’s shock 2-1 home defeat to Alaves on Saturday.
Real Madrid star Eden Hazard could miss the rest of the calendar year with a hamstring injuryCredit: Reuters
Hazard underwent ultrasound and MRI scans on Sunday to determine the extent of the problem.
And Real have now announced he has suffered a small rupture in his right hamstring.
A statement confirmed: “Following tests carried out on eden Hazard, he has been diagnosed with an injury in the rectus femoris muscle of his right leg.”
According to Spanish outlet AS, Hazard could now miss four weeks of football.
That would see the ex-Chelsea man sit in the stands for EIGHT games, including crunch LaLiga clashes against rivals Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
Hazard missed six games last month with a muscle injury in the same leg, including the 3-1 El Clasico win against Barcelona.
Hazard also skipped a game before the last international break after testing positive for coronavirus along with teammate Casemiro.
In total, the playmaker has been sidelined for a staggering 39 games since his move to the Bernabeu from Chelsea for £130million in 2019.
Hazard’s latest knock is the NINTH separate problem he’s picked up in the Spanish capital.
Indeed, he’s featured just 26 times in all competitions for Real, scoring only three goals.
At Chelsea, Hazard netted 110 times in 352 games across seven seasons, missing just 20 matches through injury.
He won numerous trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues and one FA Cup.
However, Hazard did manage to add a LaLiga title to his collection last term – despite netting just once in 16 outings.
Eden Hazard suffers yet ANOTHER injury setback as Real Madrid confirm star faces a month out and could miss El Clasico More
BAYER LEVERKUSEN winger Leon Bailey says his new son Leo Cristiano is not named after Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
The Jamaican claims the baby’s name is ‘nothing to do with football’ despite the obvious similarities.
Leon Bailey says his and partner Stephanie’s son Leo Cristiano is not named after Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi
The winger has faced questions because of the obvious similarity between the namesCredit: AP:Associated Press
Leon and long-term partner Stephanie celebrated the birth of their first child in June.
And having called the little lad Leo Cristiano, he has obviously faced a lot of questions.
But the 23-year-old has quashed such suggestions, insisting it was a personal choice.
He told German outlet Bild: “It has nothing to do with football, but with me and my name.
“Leo is an abbreviation of Leon. And Leo is the lion – I am a lion.
“I believe that my son will also grow up with the mentality of being a fighter and a leader.
“And Cristiano is a lovely name that goes well with Leo.”
Jamaica international Bailey is also close friends with Raheem Sterling and Usain Bolt.
The forward attended Manchester City ace Sterling’s Great Gatsby themed 25th birthday last December.
And he was also at Bolt’s surprise birthday bash in August which drew criticism in Germany because the sprint legend was forced to isolate the day afterwards.
But Bailey does not regret the decision to celebrate with his good pal.
He added: “Usain has been a very good and close friend of mine for years.
“When in Jamaica I would never turn down an invitation from him.
“He’s a kind of mentor for me, was always there for me in good and bad days.”
Heartbreaking moment Maradona’s daughter Dalma breaks down in tears after touching Boca Juniors tribute More
LIONEL MESSI is so good he can even make his heat map look like a goat.
The Barcelona great, 33, regularly gets labelled as the Greatest Of All Time.
Lionel Messi’s heatmap from Sunday night incredibly resembled an actual goatCredit: Sofascore
Messi is often described as the Greatest Of All Time in the ongoing debateCredit: Rex Features
And the GOAT acronym could not have been more appropriate for him on Sunday evening.
One eagle-eyed fan on Twitter shared a picture of his heat map from the win over Osasuna.
And there is certainly a resemblance to an actual goat.
The user wrote: “Yo Messi’s heat map today looks like an actual goat.”
One replied: “Messi’s that good wouldn’t be surprised if he could do this on purpose.”
Another quipped: “Even science can’t deny greatness.”
And another added: “Coincidence? I think not.”
In a week where the spotlight was on Messi’s compatriot and hero Diego Maradona following his death aged 60, the debate over the greatest football ever ramped up again with the Argentine pair, Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo among the discussion.
But despite the Barca captain having a record six Ballon d’Or titles and his bonkers records over the years, he insists he will never reach the same level as Maradona.
Messi once said: “Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona.
“Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.”
Messi paid tribute to Maradona in emotional scenes at the Nou Camp as he scored his customary goal.
And remarkably the strike, a left-footed effort from the edge of the box into the top-right corner, was eerily similar to one Maradona scored for Newell’s Old Boys.
After celebrating with his team-mates, the Catalan giants’ record goalscorer took off his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell’s No10 jersey – the same one Maradona wore during his brief spell at Messi’s beloved club in 1993-94.
Messi almost emulated his icon earlier in the match when Martin Braithwaite’s bundled effort looped towards goal and the magician looked set to punch the ball over the line before retracting his arm in time.
Messi celebrated his goal against Osasuna by revealing a Newell’s Old Boys No10 shirt worn by Diego MaradonaCredit: Reuters
Watch Messi and Maradona’s eerily similar goals for Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys as Barcelona star honours icon More
