Barcelona’s Deco Hints at Future Move for Haaland Amid Lewandowski’s Continued Dominance

Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has given hints that the Catalan giants might have their eye on Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland as a potential future acquisition. This comes as current forward Robert Lewandowski continues to excel despite being 36 years old, making him one of the oldest active top scorers in European football.

Lewandowski’s Ageless Performance

Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona in 2022 after a successful stint at Bayern Munich, has shown no signs of slowing down. This season, he has already scored an impressive 19 goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances across all competitions, firmly securing his spot at the top of the La Liga scoring charts. His stellar performance has outpaced high-profile competitors like Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and PSG’s Kylian Mbappé.

The Polish international’s immediate impact in Spain saw him lead the team to a league title in his debut season, earning him praise as one of the world’s most effective forwards. Yet, as the years advance, Barcelona is faced with the reality of needing a successor when the time comes.

Deco’s Thoughts on Replacing Lewandowski

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Deco underscored the challenges of finding a replacement for Lewandowski, whom he praised as “one of the best professionals I have ever seen in my life.”

“It is not by chance that he is where he is and that he has scored all the goals he has or that he is at his level at 36 years old,” Deco stated. He emphasized that the club’s focus remains on the present and on maximizing Lewandowski’s contributions, rather than rushing to secure his successor.

Haaland as a Potential Target

Acknowledging the limited pool of world-class strikers, Deco mentioned that Haaland stands out as a possible future target due to his prolific scoring ability. “I think it is very difficult to find a striker like Robert today. There are one or two at this level. Maybe Haaland or another one. There are not so many at this level available,” Deco said.

However, he also made it clear that any decisions about pursuing a new striker, including Haaland, will be deferred until it becomes necessary. “We are not going to focus on looking for any striker now because we are going to focus first on what Robert can do. I certainly think he is happy to be here. He is a winner, and if we have a good season, I think he will want to stay,” Deco assured.

Future Considerations

Deco highlighted that while scouting for future talent is important, the club’s strategy should not be dictated by speculation. “First we have to know if Haaland is what we want in the future. We don’t know now. Right now we don’t want any ‘nine’. We have Robert. We’re not planning anything with any ‘nine’,” he said, underscoring the club’s commitment to its current lineup.

“When the time comes to make a decision and I have to make it because I’m the one at the club, we’ll consider the options. But I don’t think it’s the time to talk about any player,” Deco concluded, signaling that while the club is open to future changes, the current priority is leveraging Lewandowski’s exceptional form.

With Robert Lewandowski still performing at an elite level, Barcelona is content with their current striking options but is aware of the need for future planning. Deco’s remarks suggest that while Erling Haaland is a player of interest, any concrete decisions about pursuing him or any other forward will be made when the situation calls for it. For now, the focus remains on Lewandowski and maintaining the club’s competitive edge.