Barcelona boss Deco has hinted at a future move for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian striker has been in excellent goalscoring form since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2022.
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Haaland scored an incredible 105 goals in 114 games in all competitions, helping City to their first Champions League title.
The striker has long been linked with a future move to Real Madrid, but Kylian Mbappe’s summer move appears to have closed the door on a potential move for the 24-year-old.
But that could pave the way for a move to rivals Barcelona, who see Haaland as the perfect replacement for 36-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to have identified Haaland as the club’s next high-profile signing before his term ends in 2026.
The Catalan club appear to have caught wind of reports linking Haaland with a move away from Manchester City following Pep Guardiola’s possible departure this summer.
Haaland’s contract contains a £175m release clause. However, the number is decreasing with each passing year and City are hoping the striker will sign a new contract.
But the lure of Barcelona could tempt Haaland to leave City and the La Liga club see him as the perfect player to fill Lewandowski’s shoes.
“I think it is very difficult to find a striker like Robert today,” Deco told Mundo Deportivo. “There are one or two of this level. Maybe Haaland or someone else. There aren’t that many of these levels available.
“But we won’t focus on looking for strikers now, we’ll focus on what Robert can do first. I certainly think he’s happy to be here. He is a winner and if we have an important season I think he will want to continue.”
The Poland international has been in sensational form this season, scoring 19 goals in 17 games across all competitions.
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Lewandowski secured a free transfer to Barcelona in 2022 and helped his team win the La Liga title straight away.
However, the former Bayern Munich striker has less than a year left on his contract but is expected to extend his contract for another year.
Deco hinted that the club is solely focused on the players available to the club and in particular Lewandowski, who has propelled Barca to the top of La Liga.
“It’s not a priority [searching for a new striker] because we have to focus on this season,” said Deco
“Of course we have to do the work for the future, but when we work more on the future we forget about the present.
“We need to think about what we need to do now, not what we need to do in the future, because what happens this season can affect the future.”
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“It is not enough for us to think about the future alone.
“The work of the future will be done, it will be fulfilled. I hope that Lewandowski stays at the level he is showing.
“For me he is one of the best professionals I have seen in my life. It is no coincidence that he is where he is and has scored all the goals he has scored, or that he is at his age of 36 years old.
“They are players who only get to where they are as professionals at a high level and stand out from the others. We are happy because he fits well into the team and scores goals.”