Barcelona are putting plans in place to try to sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City in 2027, according to Sports Illustrated’s transfer roundup, published on September 6. The report states that the Blaugrana have informed Lamine Yamal of the club’s intention to build a blockbuster attacking lineup around that timeframe, with the Norwegian identified as part of that project.
It is worth being precise about what is and isn’t being reported here. This is described as planning and interest on Barcelona’s part rather than a submitted bid, an agreed fee, or confirmation that talks with Manchester City have opened. Haaland remains, for now, a City player with no reported move imminent.
Barcelona’s Reported 2027 Haaland Plan
The Sports Illustrated roundup credits El Nacional with the original claim that Barcelona have briefed Yamal on their forward-planning, with Haaland sitting alongside Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez as the two names under consideration. That framing matters: Barcelona have previously explored striker options and reportedly examined a move for Harry Kane in past speculation, underlining how long the club has been searching for a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski.
Nothing in the reporting suggests Haaland has made any decision, nor that Manchester City have been approached formally. The 2027 timeframe points to a squad-building exercise rather than an active operation this window.
The Financial Backdrop to Barcelona’s Plans
Separately, and on a much shorter horizon, Barcelona are said to have around $70 million (€60 million) available under their Financial Fair Play allocation for the January window. Sources cited by SPORT suggest the club may not spend that money on a new signing at all, instead considering a La Liga initiative that would convert 75% of it into extra room under next season’s wage cap, a mechanism closely tied to the broader debate over La Liga’s salary limits.
That figure should not be confused with any reported fee for Haaland. It concerns Barcelona’s immediate January position, not a war chest earmarked for a City striker two years down the line.
Barcelona’s Alternatives and the Wider Attack Plan
Alvarez remains the more concrete name in this story, described as a continuing target rather than a fallback. There is no indication in the reporting that Atlético have rejected an offer for the Argentine, nor that Barcelona have made one; the club’s ongoing striker search has featured his name for some time, alongside other options as the club weighs its post-Lewandowski attack.
Claims elsewhere linking Haaland’s personal preference to Barcelona over Real Madrid, or detailing direct contact between the clubs, fall outside what this reporting supports and are treated here as unverified.
What This Means for Barcelona’s Long-Term Recruitment
Read together, the picture is of a club sketching out its attacking identity for 2027 rather than actively negotiating a transfer. Placing Haaland in that lineup is aspirational planning, the kind clubs routinely undertake with players whose situations might change years out.
Whether such a move is even financially realistic depends on questions this reporting doesn’t answer, including Haaland’s contract terms at City and Barcelona’s wage-cap position closer to 2027. Those remain open questions rather than settled facts.
What Happens Next With the Haaland Speculation
The concrete near-term development to watch is Barcelona’s decision on that $70 million (€60 million) January allocation, and whether the club opts to spend it or redirect the bulk of it toward next season’s wage cap. On Haaland, 2027 remains the horizon named in the reporting, with no formal bid, fee, or contact with Manchester City confirmed at this stage.
