Barcelona Presidential Candidate Seeks Haaland "First Refusal Rights" in Secret Madrid Meeting

According to Diario Sport, Barcelona's presidential race has reached a critical phase, with candidate Joan Font pursuing an ambitious plan. Taking advantage of Manchester City's Champions League match against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital, Font's team held discreet talks with City executives at Madrid's Four Seasons Hotel. The singular objective: securing future "priority purchase rights" for Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.

On Wednesday morning, two key members of Font's campaign—Plancartes and Aguilar—were spotted at the Four Seasons, where Manchester City's squad was staying. The pair reportedly spent several hours in closed-door negotiations with City CEO Ferran Soriano and Sporting Director Hugo Viana in a private hotel suite. The meeting was conducted under strict confidentiality to avoid media attention.

Font's strategy is clear: while Haaland remains untouchable at City, Barcelona aims to establish a strategic agreement ensuring they receive preferential negotiating and signing rights should the striker ever decide to leave the Premier League—particularly ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid. Despite Haaland recently signing a contract extension through 2034, making any near-term transfer highly unlikely, Font is taking a long-term approach.

Haaland has long been Barcelona's dream signing to solve their striker needs. Font acknowledges current financial constraints prevent immediate action, but securing "first refusal rights" represents future insurance. Such an arrangement would position Barcelona advantageously in any eventual transfer battle against global powerhouses. The meeting's success largely hinged on Plancartes, whose nearly two-decade working relationship with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City provided crucial access to City's leadership.