Erling Haaland's father, agent meeting Barcelona to discuss transfer

Barcelona president Joan Laporta met with Erling Haaland's father Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola for several hours to discuss the possibility of a transfer that would bring the Borussia Dortmund forward to the Spanish club.

Haaland, who is only 20, has established himself as a breakout star since joining Dortmund at the start of 2020, scoring 49 goals in 49 matches. A release clause in his contract cannot be activated until 2022, so any movement before then would likely require a hefty transfer payment to Dortmund.

Sources said that Dortmund was aware of the meeting and may be open to Barcelona acquiring Haaland this summer for €180m (approximately $211 million). Barcelona previously considered bidding for Haaland in 2020 but Eric Abidal, who was sporting director at the time, decided against it.

Barcelona is expected to have competition in the pursuit of Haaland, as several clubs, including rival Real Madrid and Manchester City, are reportedly interested in adding his talents. Whoever is able to land Haaland will have landed one of the best up-and-coming players in the sport, so demand is expected to be high, which could give Dortmund significant leverage in negotiations.

A recent report indicated that Barcelona is over $1 billion in debt, so being able to afford the transfer could also prove to be a major roadblock.