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Barcelona rue lack of 'homework' in Mbappe & Haaland battle as Real Madrid admission is made
Eduard Romeu concedes that financial mismanagement in Catalunya has allowed Clasico rivals to edge to the front of any transfer queues
Barcelona's economic vice-president Eduard Romeu admits that Real Madrid are in a position to sign Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in 2022, with the Blaugrana being left behind in the transfer market due to a lack of "homework".
The Blaugrana are enduring much-publicised financial struggles, with a mass exodus of top talent over the summer seeing the likes of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann sever ties with the Catalan giants.
Ambition is having to be reined in for now at Camp Nou, with Barca in no position to compete with Clasico rivals Real for the most sought-after signatures even if they wanted to join those pursuits.
What has been said?
Romeu told Cadena Cope when asked if the Blancos could lure Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain and prise Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in the same window: "It is possible because Real Madrid is a great club which has great potential and strength.
"If we had done our homework in recent years we would be in the same situation as them.
"Florentino Perez has managed the club in a way that we have to take our hat off to. At a business level, no-one is going to question him."
Is more change coming at Barcelona?
More cost-cutting is expected at Barca, with there still a number of big earners that the club would like to get off their books - such as Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti.
Further change off the field is also being mooted, with there renewed speculation regarding Ronald Koeman's future as manager.
It has been suggested that the Dutchman is on borrowed time after opening their 2021-22 Champions League campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, but Romeu says no sack discussions have been held as yet.
He added on Koeman: "We have not talked at all about firing him.
"We were in the middle of a meeting and a colleague said that it was appearing in a newspaper that we were requesting his departure. It is rigorously false, it does not make any sense to do it and it was not on the agenda.
"We have seven points from three La Liga games and we have had the worst possible rival in the Champions League. Losing to Bayern is part of an equation, although we were disappointed."
Barca will be back in domestic action on Monday when playing host to Granada.
