Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been speaking about the club’s interest in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Mbappe's current contract with PSG is set to expire in the summer and his future remains undecided with clubs across Europe vying for his signature. The forward has been consistently linked with a move to Liverpool but looked to be on the verge of signing for Real Madrid last summer.
Real, it is claimed, failed with three bids for the World Cup winner, who is out of contract on June 30. But the forward is currently free to agree a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of France.
READ MORE: FA's empty gesture is obvious but they already know truth about Liverpool vs Man City
READ MORE: Paul Pogba has just told Manchester United why they're so far behind Liverpoo
PSG have been looking to tie Mbappe to a new deal for some time but it has been reported that those talks have now reached an impasse. Mbappe’s side were knocked out of the Champions League to Real Madrid earlier this month despite Mbappe firing his side ahead at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And when asked about whether a transfer could take place this summer, Laporta refused to comment on Barcelona’s interest.
He said: "If we talk about a player, we would increase the price. Neither with Mbappe nor with others do I want to comment on the rumours, because it would harm the interests of the club.”
Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland has also been linked with a move to the Reds this summer. The 21-year-old forward is one of European football’s hottest properties having averaged around a goal a game for the past two seasons.
Haaland has netted 80 goals in 82 games for Dortmund since joining them in the 2020 January transfer window from Red Bull Salzburg. That impressive form has resulted in the forward being linked with a host of top clubs around Europe, including Liverpool.
The Norway international has also been linked with moves to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United over the past year. However, Red Bull Salzburg Sporting Director Christoph Freund claimed last year that Haaland 'will land' at Liverpool instead of United or Real if he leaves the German side.
And in an interview with Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Laporta was again hesitant to comment on the prospect of signing Haaland.
He said: "Here everyone is free to launch messages and proclamations and we already know that this is part of the world of football, that the big clubs are interested in great players.
"But I'm not going to enter, and you have to allow me not to talk about players because if I do, the only thing I can do is harm the interests of our club.
"If we talk about a player and we had the intention of signing him, we would increase the price. Neither with this player nor with others do I want to comment on issues because it would harm the interests of the club.
"The technical secretary and sports management are working to improve our squad, which is getting better and better, we are more and more satisfied. I want it to be clearly understood that we prioritise the team above all else, a reinforced team in each of its lines and what we do not participate in is elevating players or looking for players who are more than the team.
"What we want to strengthen is the team we have that plays based on a genuine Barca system. The club thinks that this is what the football team needs, this genuine style that for me is the key to everything and is what we have to do, a team that can play this system with highly talented players."
