Barcelona director Deco has expressed his belief that Erling Haaland would be the ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski as the Spanish club reportedly targets the Manchester City star.
Since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland has been in sensational form, scoring 105 goals in 114 appearances across all competitions.
His remarkable performances have seemingly caught the attention of Barcelona, with club president Joan Laporta leading efforts to secure the Norwegian striker.
Laporta is aiming to end his tenure at the club in 2026 on a high note, and signing Haaland would be a major coup.
There have also been reports suggesting that Haaland himself is considering a move away from Man City, with speculation linking his potential exit to the expiration of Pep Guardiola’s contract this summer.
Haaland’s current contract includes a release clause of £175million, which decreases each year.
Despite this, Manchester City are eager to extend his contract and ward off interest from other clubs.
However, Deco has now admitted that Erling Haaland would be well-suited to replacing Lewandowski at Barcelona.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the Portuguese chief said: “I think it’s very difficult to find a striker like Robert today. There are one or two of this level.
“Maybe Haaland or someone else. There are not so many of this level available.
“But we’re not going to be obsessed with looking for any strikers now because we’re going to focus first on what Robert can do.
“I surely think he’s happy to be here.
“He’s a winner and if we have an important season I think he’ll want to continue.”
Robert Lewandowski has been in exceptional form since joining Barcelona, continuing his impressive career following his transfer from Bayern Munich in 2023.
The Polish striker arrived on a free transfer and has quickly become a key figure at the club.
Over the past two-and-a-half seasons, Lewandowski has scored an impressive 78 goals.
Despite having less than a year remaining on his contract, an extension is expected to be finalised, likely extending his stay by another season.
While Lewandowski has been in superb form, Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, recently acknowledged that Erling Haaland could be an ideal future successor to Lewandowski.
However, he emphasized that the club is not currently focused on replacing the former Borussia Dortmund star.
He added: “It’s not a priority because we have to focus on this season.
“Of course we have to do the work of the future, but if we are working more on the future, we forget about the present.
“We have to think about what we have to do now and not what we have to do in the future because what happens this season can condition the future.
“It is not enough for us to be alone thinking about the future.
“The work of the future is being done, it is being fulfilled. What I hope is that Lewandowski continues at the same level that he is showing.
“For me he is one of the best professionals I have seen in my life.
“It is not by chance that he is where he is and that he has scored all the goals he has scored or that he is at 36 years of age at his level.
“They are players who only reach where they are being high-level professionals and above the others.
“We are happy because he is connecting well with the team, he is scoring goals.”
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