Erling Haaland set to play key role in Neymar transfer as extraordinary plan hatched
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland continues to attract admiring glances from Europe's elite after breaking more goal records and Barcelona are the latest club weighing up a move
by Dan Marsh · The MirrorBarcelona are plotting a sensational move to bring Neymar back to the Nou Camp - if they fail with an audacious swoop for Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City striker, 24, remains one of Europe's most sought-after commodities despite the fact that the Premier League champions consider the Norway star as untouchable, with Barca just one of the high-profile admirers that Haaland boasts.
Haaland has a remarkable scoring record since swapping Borussia Dortmund for Manchester in the summer of 2022. He recently notched his 100th goal for City and now has a record of 101 strikes in just 107 games.
Those sensational returns have not gone unnoticed elsewhere, particularly in Spain. However, it's Barcelona, rather than long-term admirers Real Madrid, who are now being tipped to make a move.
Spanish outlet Sport claims that Barca have now made Haaland their 'top priority' ahead of next summer as seek to assemble a team capable of dominating La Liga under new head coach Hansi Flick.
It remains to be seen if Haaland would be attainable for Barcelona, who have been plagued by financial issues in recent years. It's also highly unlikely that City would be willing to sell their talisman given his importance to Pep Guardiola's team.
With that in mind, Neymar is also an option being considered by Barcelona's top brass. The Brazil superstar, 32, enjoyed a successful four-year spell at the Nou Camp earlier in his career before leaving for a world-record transfer fee of €222million (£200m).
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He moved to the Saudi Pro League last summer but his contract with Al-Hilal expires at the end of this season, meaning Neymar would be free to re-join his former club as a free agent in the summer of 2025.
It's said that Neymar, who is close to a return after rupturing his cruciate ligament last year, is hoping to be selected for Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad and that a return to Barcelona could aid him to that end.
Neymar made 186 appearances in total for Barcelona, scoring 105 goals before he was prised away by Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster deal back in the summer of 2017.
The same report outlines that Brazilian outfit Flamengo are also keen on signing Neymar when his Al-Hilal contract comes to an end.
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