2 years ago
Over the last two weeks, Barcelona's pursuit of Erling Haaland has dominated the news.
Last week, it was claimed that Barcelona had moved ahead of Real Madrid and Manchester City in the hunt for the Borussia Dortmund striker, who will leave when his €75 million release clause is activated this summer.
Haaland is rumored to have met Barcelona coach Xavi in Munich, with the Catalan press reporting that an agreement had been reached.
Barcelona, however, has dropped out of the deal when Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, wanted a two-year contract for his client, as FootballTransfers revealed earlier this week.
Haaland is anticipated to join Real Madrid or Manchester City in the near future.
Barcelona does not require Haaland as a result of Sunday's Clasico.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Xavi's team proved their stunning form in 2022 by thoroughly dismantling their fiercest rivals in the first half. They dominated possession and territory, pressed high up the field to force Madrid out of possession, and generated chance after chance. On 28 minutes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed Ousmane Dembele's cross past Thibaut Courtois to break the deadlock. Aubameyang could have had a hat-trick by halftime, but Courtois denied him twice. The Gabonese international, along with Dembele, who helped Ronald Araujo in doubling Madrid's advantage before halftime, caused all sorts of problems for the Spaniards. Aubameyang's outstanding start to his Barcelona career was therefore maintained. After being locked out of the squad at Arsenal, he joined Barca on a free transfer in January.
There have been numerous allegations that Aubameyang and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had a major falling out. He was Arsenal's highest-paid player, earning £350,000 a week, but he was so desperate to go that he agreed to take a pay cut to join Barca.
With his Clasico goal, he now has eight goals in 11 games for Barcelona, all of which have come in the last eight games.
Aubameyang is a continuous goal threat, whether with his right foot, left foot, or with his head.
He has a telepathic link with his former Dortmund teammate, as he highlighted this week when confessing that he is attempting to persuade Dembele to stay at the club. Dembele has aided Aubameyang more than any other player in his career.
Aubameyang may be 32 years old, but he is still a gentleman. There is no need for Barcelona to compromise their financial future in order to recruit Haaland, as Joan Laporta has stated.
They already have a world-class striker in Aubameyang.
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