The names that came up in the Joan Laporta - Mino Raiola meeting
Barcelona could be in the race for several players in January and the summer in particular
On Monday Joan Laporta and Mino Raiola met in a Turin hotel to speak about the future of various players, including Erling Haaland, a priority for Barcelona. The good relation they have meant various names were put on the table. Three players who could arrive at zero cost. Pogba, Xavi Simons and Ajax defender Mazraoui.
The discussions largely concerned the summer window but it can’t be ruled out that one of the operations is accelerated.
Barcelona would love to sign Erling Haaland and Raiola knows he’s their No 1 objective. If he could also move other clients to Barcelona he would lower his commission asking price.
Barcelona know the numbers of his transfer and Laporta has made the first move to try and get him to Camp Nou.
Pogba has been linked with Barcelona various times but he’s never been easier to get than now. His contract with Man United expires in the summer. If they want to make anything from him they might try and sell at a cheap price in January.
Pogba and Haaland are both star acmes and would help boost Barcelona on the pitch and off it. However, Xavi has said he has enough midfielders.
Xavi Simons left Barcelona to join PSG, something that actually gave some relief to the club. They didn’t see his progression clearly and thought he was more marketing than potential, in some ways. The 18-year-old is in Paris’s B team and has three goals and six assists in six games in the Youth League. If he came to Barcelona he would be between Barca B and the youth team.
Mazraoui has been one of the sensations of the season in the Netherlands. Barcelona have covered the right-back spot with Dani Alves’s arrival, but then again Sergino Dest has been linked with the exit.
