“Dreaming is free” - Jordi Cruyff provides update on Barcelona’s pursuit of 2 superstar attackers
Barcelona's quest to add an elite striker to their ranks ahead of next season has seen them linked with Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich hitman Robert Lewandowski in recent weeks. Amid the rumours, the Blaugrana's sporting director Jordi Cruyff answered questions regarding the club's plans for attacking reinforcements this summer.
He denied recent rumours suggesting Barcelona have pulled out of the race to sign Haaland and switched focus to Lewandowski. Cruyff, however, was tight-lipped about the club's transfer plans, saying that his concern lies with the current squad at the Camp Nou.
(LEWANDOWSKI): Although Erling Haaland is the absolute priority for Barcelona, they have not yet lost track of Robert Lewandowski.
🔄 (LEWANDOWSKI): Although Erling Haaland is the absolute priority for Barcelona, they have not yet lost track of Robert Lewandowski.
• Lewandowski is out of contract in 2023 and has not started negotiating a renewal with Bayern Munich as of yet.
#FCB 🇵🇱
Via (🟠): @sport https://t.co/vA8HIBsgVJ
“I haven’t ruled out anyone," Cruyff told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by Barca Blaugranes. "I’m not very willing to talk about names. There will be others who respond. The only thing you do is annoy the clubs where they play, I’m more concerned about the squad. They’re all great players," he added.
The former Blaugrana midfielder was then asked specifically about the club's pursuit of Lewandowski, to which he replied:
“He is a player who has a contract; we are the last to decide. Dreaming is free.”
While Barcelona are looking at reinforcements ahead of next season, rumours have emerged in recent days suggesting they could end up selling Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong. However, Cruyff refused to entertain questions regarding the midfielder's future, having earlier ruled out any chances of his departure.
If Frenkie de Jong leaves Barcelona, who should sign him? 🇳🇱 https://t.co/ug8zr4Edg0
He said:
“I said that given the criticism he received, he is a highly valued player at the club, in the world of football, you know that too, and that this is not the time to talk about something that is above everything else, about the future. The main thing is to meet the minimum objectives that we had to do this season."
Barcelona's current standing in La Liga
The Blaugrana are second in the La Liga standings with 63 points in 33 games. They have recorded 18 victories, nine draws and six defeats in the league this season.
They are looking to finish in the top four and return to the UEFA Champions League next season. With just five games to go, they only need three victories to reach their objective. It remains to be seen how they fare in the remainder of the ongoing campaign.