Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has told Sport it would be ‘an honour’ to play alongside Erling Haaland at Barcelona, if they sign the reported Liverpool target from Borussia Dortmund.
The Gabon star is beginning to establish himself as Xavi Hernandez’s leading forward after leaving Arsenal in January. He made his debut La Liga start at Valencia on Sunday and hit a hat-trick to win 4-1 at the Mestalla. He also started their Europa League tie against Napoli.
Barcelona handed Aubameyang a three-and-a-half-year contract upon joining from Arsenal in a free transfer. Yet the deal also includes a break clause for the 32-year-old to walk away in 2023, possibly after a year of fighting Haaland for minutes as the Camp Nou’s top striker.
Haaland at the heart of Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid transfer battle
Xavi hopes to sign an elite striker and centre-half this summer and places Haaland’s name atop Barcelona’s shortlist, per Sport. But the Norway superstar has not yet indicated his clear desire to move to Catalunya. Blaugrana chiefs are also wary of Real Madrid’s threat.
Los Blancos will go all-out for Haaland, as well, despite the Daily Star previously reporting they cannot afford his arrival. A deal for the 21-year-old could reach £300m, including his wages, Mino Raiola’s fee and the £67m release clause Borussia Dortmund will demand.
So, Raiola contacted Manchester United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea to suggest a Premier League move is more likely. His actions being a big boost for Liverpool, as Sky Germany reported they are major competitors for Haaland’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund, too.
Aubameyang backs Barcelona deal for Liverpool target Haaland
Aubameyang has now backed Barcelona to take Liverpool transfer target Haaland to Spain from his former side, Borussia Dortmund. He welcomes the challenge BVB’s 23-goal, six-assist star would bring to Catalunya, and has sung the 15-cap international’s praises, too.
“[I’m] always prepared for healthy competition with my teammates, so it would be an honour to play with him if he ends up joining Barca,” Aubameyang said. “I’m not a coach, but I think he’s a crack.
“He scores a lot of goals, he has a very good physique and a lot of speed. It’s very rare because he’s very big, but he runs a lot. It’s incredible. For his age, he is already one of the best in the world.”
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