Double Temptation! La Liga's Two Giants Lock Onto Haaland as 2026 Summer Transfer Window Could See 25-Year-Old Star Striker Bid Farewell to the Etihad
According to reports from foreign media, the two giants of La Liga — FC Barcelona and Real Madrid — both assess that Manchester City's starting striker Erling Haaland is highly likely to request a transfer during the 2026 summer transfer window. The basis for this assessment lies in the fact that in the final season before the 2028 UEFA European Championship opens, the 25-year-old Norwegian center-forward may reassess his career trajectory, making the summer of 2026 the optimal window to sign him. In fact, Real Madrid has long included Haaland on its list of long-term targets, but the player himself has shown no signs of wanting to leave the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona has turned its attention to Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane. Sources reveal that the 33-year-old England international is viewed as a potential successor to Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez. Kane's contract with Bayern Munich is set to expire in June 2027, and should the two parties fail to reach a renewal agreement, Barcelona may accelerate its pursuit. The Camp Nou side is actively seeking a long-term striker to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski's summer transfer to the Chicago Fire.
Positive news on the front line for Barcelona — Raphinha is set to kick off renewal negotiations with the club. According to sources close to the player, the 29-year-old Brazilian winger, who represents himself as his own agent, held a face-to-face meeting with Barcelona sporting director Deco on Monday afternoon local time, and the two exchanged views on officially launching renewal talks. Raphinha himself has expressed strong willingness to continue playing at Camp Nou for the long term. In the season so far, he has directly contributed to 11 goals across 6 competitive matches, including two assists in a La Liga match against Levante.
As for Manchester United, their pursuit of Everton defensive mainstay Jarrod Branthwaite has intensified once again. British media reports that the Red Devils have made contact with the 24-year-old defender's representatives to begin preliminary discussions on a potential transfer. Previously, United had submitted two offers totaling approximately £50 million, both of which were firmly rejected by Everton. United's search for defensive reinforcements aims to identify long-term successors for Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire. Should Everton be willing to engage in negotiations on the terms, United is open to the possibility of structuring the deal through a player exchange.
Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, plans to launch a renewed pursuit of Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. Having failed to sign Gibbs-White during the 2025 summer window, Spurs still believe this is a deal worth targeting and plan to leverage the contract expiry timeline to apply pressure. The 26-year-old England international will enter the final year of his contract in the summer of 2026, although Nottingham Forest is expected to table a renewal offer in advance to avoid losing another key midfield piece following Elliot Anderson's transfer to Manchester City.
Other notable transfer developments include the following: Liverpool plans to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara in the January 2026 window; Chelsea winger Estêvão has attracted interest from both Barcelona and Liverpool; Liverpool will wait until the end of this season to make a final decision on whether to permanently sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, currently on loan; UAE Pro League club Al-Shabab Al-Ahli has expressed interest in signing Tottenham striker Richarlison; both Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are closely monitoring Barcelona left-back Xavier Esparte; free-agent midfielder Yves Bissouma is set to officially join Ajax; and Inter Milan continues negotiations with midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu on a contract renewal, though the club has expressed some concern over his recent injury issues.