Barcelona vice-president plays down a potential move for Erling Haaland

Gio Reyna-Erling Haaland-Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has established himself as one of the most exciting attacking prospects in world football and he has been linked with several European heavyweights over the last few months.

Spanish giants Barcelona are one of the clubs linked with a move for the Norwegian international but the club’s vice president Rafael Yuste has made it clear that the club cannot afford to sign a player like Haaland because of their current economic situation.

The Dortmund star is likely to cost a premium at the end of this season and Barcelona’s financial crisis will rule them out of any potential move.

The Spanish giants have a debt of around €1.3 billion right now and they have had to let go of players like Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann earlier on in the summer.

Barcelona were struggling to register their new signings because of the salary cap and bringing in someone like Haaland will put a lot of pressure on their wage structure.

It is highly unlikely that they will be able to shell out a massive transfer fee for Erling Haaland either.

Barcelona were unable to afford Lionel Messi’s wages, which forced him to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer earlier in the summer.

It remains to be seen whether they can sort out their financial problems between now and the end of the season.

Yuste said to Mundo Deportivo: “Between now and next year we will see what the situation is and what we can count on for signings. First, you have to put the partitions in a house that we have found in ruins, so let’s focus first on fortifying it, first feed the household and then we’ll see what we can do, without losing sight of the fact that we always want to have the best and Haaland. It is one of the best in the world.”