Former Barcelona Director claims club turned down chance to sign Haaland because he was not a ‘Barca player’
Last Updated: November 15, 2020 5:39 pm
Technical ‘disasterclass’
Barcelona’s transfer activity in the years since the departure of Neymar has been tumultuous – huge fees on players who have failed to have the impact the club have so desperately needed.
The signings of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann display a level of panic from the club. Neymar’s departure, followed by embarrassing Champions League exits at the hands of Roma and Liverpool, paint a picture of decline.
The Blaugrana, though, could have been in a much healthier place had the proposals of former director Javier Bordas been listened to. During a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Bordas claimed that he recommended a number of players to the club, only to be ignored.
Bordas revealed that Thibaut Courtois could have come in and even partnered Marc-André ter Stegen. Alvaro Morata, meanwhile, could have been signed from Chelsea, but Barca instead opted for Kevin Prince Boateng. Valencia’s Ferran Torres, who now plays for Manchester City, along with Dinamo Zagreb’s Dani Olmo, now at RB Leipzig, could both also have supposedly joined.
UDINE, ITALY – JUNE 30: Dani Olmo of Spain with trophy after winning the 2019 UEFA U-21 Final between Spain and Germany at Stadio Friuli on June 30, 2019 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
All of these players moved for fees significantly lower than the aforementioned trio of Dembele, Coutinho and Griezmann.
The technical secretaries at the Camp Nou during this period were Robert Fernandez, who reigned for 3 years before being replaced by former Barcelona left-back Eric Abidal in 2018. The Frenchman did not last long, though, and was replaced in August of this year by Ramon Planes after the club’s 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich.
❗ LATEST NEWS – Ramon Planes, new technical director for Barça pic.twitter.com/JQq6Z9r7xb
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 19, 2020
Missing Haaland
Another of the key names whom Javier Bordas claims Barca missed out on is Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. The Norwegian previously tore up the Austrian Bundesliga and Champions League with Red Bull Salzburg, but eventually left to sign for the German giants.
Want to learn more about Haaland? 101 have profiled the striker here.
When asked why the Catalans didn’t swoop for Haaland, Bordas explained: “Because they told me that he was not a Barça player. I understand that Bartomeu ignores the technical secretary, but the truth is that these players could have come, and then you don’t know what performance they are going to give.”
Since his arrival in Dortmund, Haaland has continued his prolific form. Barcelona, though, recently parted ways with Luis Suarez, who joined Atletico Madrid, and is currently sitting joint-2nd in the La Liga goalscoring charts. Ronald Koeman’s goals have come from wonderkid Ansu Fati with 4, Lionel Messi playing both centrally and on the right (3) and Griezmann, who has just 2.
Whether or not the Barcelona ‘DNA’ is possessed by Haaland, the Norwegian striker being fed by the likes of Messi and Fati would have been a sight to behold. Should the Blaugrana step away from the club’s ‘norm’ and adapt? Maybe. Done correctly, and with the right signings, the ‘Cruyffian’ style could still succeed, but, as things stand, the club’s board remains some way off recreating perfection.
Erling Haaland: Profile, Expert Analysis, Tactical Overview & Video
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This article was edited by Conor Laird.
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