Ciaran Morrison

Sun 22 March 2026 8:00, UK

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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was never going to be a realistic signing for Barcelona in the next few years.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, after Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font made Haaland one of his top transfer targets.

Font though was unable to beat incumbent Joan Laporta, who will remain as Barcelona’s president for the next five years.

There has been no indication that Haaland wants to leave Man City, with the 25-year-old signing a new contract in 2025 to keep him at the club until 2034.

Man City could face some summer departures, but Haaland remains one of the first names on the teamsheet under Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona face ‘serious’ off-field issues

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – states that Laporta faces a financial “minefield” at Barcelona.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness believes there was never a chance that Haaland could join the club if Font had won the presidential election.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think we’ve all known that political parties and, presidential politics, also relies on a lot of, to put it kindly, they’re being conservative with the truth. Otherwise known as downright lies.

“And I don’t think there was ever a chance of Haaland coming to Barcelona. So, Mr. Font, and I think the fans have seen through it, I’m afraid he hasn’t got the votes he wanted. And so, Laporta, though, is now stuck with having to go on and manage this minefield of finances that they’re in right now.

“And it really is a minefield. So, I think, any opposition to Laporta would probably be glad that they haven’t won because they would have been inheriting, in my view, a poison chalice. 

“So I think Font may be actually wishing, you know, being pleased that he hasn’t actually won, and Laporta’s got some serious issues to now confront over the next few seasons, but they’re still top of the table.”  

Pep Guardiola exit update

Sources have told Football Insider that Man City are resigned to losing Guardiola as manager at the end of the season.

A final decision has not been reached on Guardiola’s future at the Etihad, but the club expect the Spaniard to depart in the upcoming months.

Guardiola has spent a decade at the club, and could leave on a high if Man City can topple Arsenal in both the Carabao Cup final and the Premier League title race.