Xavier Vilajoana has told ESPN he has already initiated contact over the possible signing of Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane should he win the Barcelona presidential election next month.
Vilajoana is one of four confirmed candidates running in the election, which will be held on March 15, and will target a move for the England international if he is victorious.
“What we’re missing is a striker,” he said in an interview with ESPN. “A centre forward who is capable of linking up play, but who is also a killer in the box.
“I think a good centre back is needed as well. I’m not saying that the ones we have aren’t good, but a centre back who can balance out the youth and inexperience.
“I think that with these two signings, and with what we have coming up through the ranks, with what we already have in the team, we wouldn’t need to make so many changes.”
Pressed on possible strikers who could come in, he added: “There is one. In fact, we’ve already made some contact, and I think he’s a player who would be a great fit, pending his contractual situation: it’s Harry Kane.
“Kane is a centre forward who would fit in perfectly with our style of play. He’s a striker who is capable of dropping back to link up with his teammates. He is also capable of playing as a pure No.9, a killer, a finisher.
“He is a player who brings mobility. He also performs well when teams sit deep. He would add a lot of value to Barcelona’s game.”
Harry Kane’s contract at Bayern Munich expires in 2027. Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images
ESPN have previously reported that Kane has a release clause in his Bayern contract which dropped to around €60m in January.
The German champions remain in “intensive talks” with the former Tottenham Hotspur man over his future, but specific negotiations on any potential new deal have not necessarily taken place, the club’s sporting director Max Eberl said recently.
Kane’s current deal expires in 2027 and if Barça were to move for the 32-year-old, it would mirror the signing of Robert Lewandowski — who is out of contract at Camp Nou this summer — from the Bundesliga side four years ago.
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Vilajoana believes Kane would be interested in joining the Catalan side should it be possible.
“I also know that he likes Barcelona,” he said. “In fact, there are very few players who don’t like Barcelona. So it’s a matter of talking about it, obviously.”
However, Vilajoana is less sure about what the future holds for Kane’s fellow England international Marcus Rashford, who is currently on loan at Barça from Manchester United.
Barça have an option to sign Rashford for €30m in the summer, but the presential candidate would look in-house before committing to any deal for the forward, who has scored 10 goals and assisted 13 more this season.
“I am someone who believes you should always look in-house first, as I’ve always said, and then look outside depending on the characteristics of the players you have,” Vilajoana said of the possibility of paying Rashford’s clause.
“For example, I want to give the example of Jan Virgili, who is currently playing for Mallorca. He’s a great winger. I would maybe look at [exercising the clause to re-sign him] as an option, for example, rather than paying the Rashford clause.
“That said, it’s not just the president who arrives and makes the decision. The president arrives, puts things on the table, alternatives are considered, it’s discussed and a decision is made.
“What I am clear on is that if [signing Rashford] is considered to be the best decision from a sporting point of view, the money will be there to make it happen.”
