Joan Laporta’s relationship with Mino Raiola to prove crucial for Barcelona

Ever since Joan Laporta was appointed president of FC Barcelona, he has been on a mission to not only fix the financial issues at the club but also help recover the club’s status as one of the world’s best squads. Despite having a decent squad, former coach Ronald Koeman struggled to find success in both La Liga and the Champions League. His dismissal made room for club legend Xavi Hernandez to make his long-awaited return to the Nou Camp, and there is no doubt the squad has improved tremendously under the leadership of the Spaniard.

While Laporta is happy with the way the squad is performing, especially after the arrival of Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Adama Traore, the president desires to bring more reinforcements in summer. The club have decided that a solid striker is an utmost priority, with Erling Haaland being the best-case scenario. Once a striker is secured, there will be a massive defensive overhaul with intentions to secure a new player in the left-back, right-back, and centre-back roles.

Barcelona held talks with Mino Raiola regarding Haaland and Mazraoui

With that in mind, Laporta has identified both Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland and Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui as solid reinforcements and Marca reported that the president recently met with super-agent Mino Raiola to discuss the potential transfers of both players.

The report suggests that the Catalans could secure Haaland for a fee of around 75 million euros which does not include the additional amount they will have to pay his father and agent. While Laporta is seemingly ready to go all-in for the Norwegian striker, Real Madrid and Manchester City are equally interested in his signing and could potentially cause a lot of problems.

This is where Laporta can become a critical part of Barcelona’s plan to secure the superstar as his relationship with agent Mino Raiola is said to play a major role in making the deal go in Barca’s favor. While Haaland’s arrival will definitely help the Spanish side regain their status as one of the best, anything can happen until Haaland’s arrival is official.

Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui is said to be keen on making a move to Camp Nou a reality with Barca also adamant about making him Dani Alves’ successor.

Should Barca secure Haaland and Mazraoui?