'Fake News' - Raiola says no deal in place with presidential candidate to take Haaland to Barcelona

Posted Friday, January 01, 2021 by Goal.com

The Norwegian forward is one of the hottest properties in world football and a Barca presidential candidate wants him

Minio Raiola has rubbished suggestions that he has brokered a deal with a Barcelona presidential candidate to take Erling Haaland to Camp Nou.

Haaland is in his first full season at Borussia Dortmund, but such has been his impact at the Signal Iduna Park that he is being linked with a move to a European giant.

The likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all been linked, and Barcelona presidential candidate Emili Rousaud has reportedly made Haaland's signature one of his priorities.

Josep Maria Minguella is advising Rousaud and claims the fundamentals are in place for a deal to be done.

"We know all the conditions and if we win, the following day I will call Mino Raiola and we will accept those conditions. I have already advised him of that," Minguella is quoted as saying by AS . "We have a world-class sports project that is not showing just now, but Emili Rousaud has a plan that will turn this unfortunate situation [at Barcelona] around."

Raiola was contacted by Sport1 and he has claimed the reports are "fake news" and that he has never spoken to any Barcelona presidential candidate.

"Fake news!" Raiola said. "I've never talked to any presidential candidate of Barcelona regarding Haaland or any other of my clients and I will not do that either.

"If there is a new president of Barcelona elected in January he can call me."

Raiola's comments would appear fairly unequivocal, but Minguella said he had held talks with the agent and not the presidential candidate himself.

As such, it may well be true that Raiola has not spoken to Rousaud, but it does not mean that the groundwork is not in place for a deal to be pushed through should he win the election.

The speculation will not please Dortmund, as they are looking to steady the ship following a torrid December that saw coach Lucien Favre depart following the 5-1 loss to Stuttgart.

The club are also hoping that the New Year will see Haaland return to the side following a hamstring injury .

Dortmund return to action against Wolfsburg at home on January 3. The club are currently sat in fifth in the Bundesliga table, eight points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich.