By Wale Mustapha
Spanish LaLiga giants Barcelona have reportedly identified Victor Osimhen and Erling Haaland as their primary transfer targets ahead of the 2025 summer window.
The Catalan club is seeking to bolster its attacking options after a season marked by injuries and inconsistent goal scoring.
Barcelona’s hierarchy is said to be exploring long-term replacements for Robert Lewandowski, whose contract runs until 2026 but who could depart before its expiry.
According to reports, discussions within the club’s sporting department have centered on securing a world-class striker, with Napoli’s Osimhen and Manchester City’s Haaland emerging as the leading candidates.
Turkish transfer expert Ergenekon told Habersarikirmizi that Barcelona are preparing a dedicated budget to fund the signing of a marquee centre-forward.
“Last season, if they had asked me to make a transfer to Barcelona, I would have said a centre-back,” Ergenekon said.
“Now, we can add a centre-forward to that list. The names of Osimhen and Haaland are being mentioned for Barcelona’s number nine role, and the club will allocate a significant amount of money for the position.”
Barcelona, the reigning LaLiga champions, have struggled for consistency in front of goal this campaign, and the pursuit of a new striker signals a major reshaping of their attacking line ahead of next season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
