Mino Raiola and Al Inge Haaland traveled to Barcelona yesterday, which has given rise to all sorts of speculation regarding Erling Haaland’s future and a potential move to Camp Nou this summer. Hence, we look at how the player could fit into the Barcelona first team if he moves to join the Blaugrana.
It is important to remember that Haaland operates as a number 9 and is unlikely to want to play elsewhere. Hence, a plight like that of Antoine Griezmann, where he was pushed out wide to the wings, is unlikely to favor Haaland or convince Raiola to break the deal to them.
Another factor that comes into play is the fact that he will be required to track back since Leo Messi is the one who continues to stay up when possession is lost. This will lead to him having to cover more ground when it is regained since he is the designated goalscorer and could hinder his natural game.
But all that said, Haaland has the ability to muscle defenders off the ball and surely adapt, given that he is only 20 years old. The same cannot be said for Leo Messi, who is in his mid-30s and has never really been defensively active.
Lastly, a move to Barcelona could be tricky to manage since Martin Braithwaite and Antoine Griezmann are already the 9s at the club but are not being used appropriately, which only creates more confusion about the role or the purpose of signing Haaland will be.
