JAKARTA - One of Barcelona's presidential candidates, Xavier Vilajoana, revealed that he had started contacts regarding the possibility of recruiting Harry Kane from Bayern Munich if he won the election next month.
Vilajoana is one of four candidates who have been confirmed in the election to be held on March 15, 2026. He will target the transfer of the English player if he wins.
"What we need is a striker. A central striker who is able to build attacks, but also a killer in the penalty box."
"I think a good central defender is also needed. I'm not saying that the central defender we have is not good. However, we need a central defender who can balance the young and inexperienced players."
"I think with these two signings, and with what we have from the young players, with what we already have in the team, we don't need to make many changes," Vilajoana said in an interview with ESPN.
Vilajoana further revealed the reason why Harry Kane is on Barcelona's top transfer list if he wins the election.
Even though he is still not sure if he will be selected, Vilajoana has already contacted Kane.
"There is one. In fact, we have made several contacts. I think he is a player who would fit in very well, depending on the situation of his contract. He is Harry Kane."
"Kane is a centre-forward who would fit very well with our style of play. He is a striker who is able to step back to coordinate with his teammates."
"He is also able to play as a pure number 9, a killer, a scorer. He is a player who brings mobility. He also performs well when the team defends. He will add a lot of value to Barcelona's game," said Vilajoana.
ESPN previously reported that Kane has a release clause in his contract with Bayern Munich that drops to around 60 million euros in January 2026.
The Bundesliga champions remain in intensive talks with the former Tottenham Hotspur player over his future.
However, Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl said specific negotiations about a potential new deal were not necessarily taking place.
Kane's current contract is due to expire in 2027. If Barcelona want to sign the 32-year-old, it is reminiscent of the recruitment of Robert Lewandowski - whose contract will expire at Camp Nou this summer - from Bayern Munich four years ago.
Vilajoana believes Kane would be interested in joining the Catalan club if possible.
"I also know that he likes Barcelona. In fact, very few players don't like Barcelona. So, it's a matter of talking about it, of course," he said.
Apart from that, Vilajoana is less sure about the future of Kane's teammate in the England National Team, Marcus Rashford, who is currently on loan to Barcelona from Manchester United.
Blaugarana has the option to sign Rashford for 30 million euros in the summer. However, the club prefers to look for a main candidate from internal players, before committing to any deal for the striker, who has scored 10 goals and provided 13 assists this season.
"I'm a person who believes that you should always look inside the team first, as I always say. Then look outside depending on the characteristics of the players you have."
"For example, I want to give the example of Jan Virgili, who is currently playing for Mallorca. He is a great winger."
"I would probably consider (using a clause to extend his contract) as an option, for example, rather than paying Rashford's clause."
"However, it is not only the president who comes and makes decisions. The president comes, conveys various things, alternatives are considered, discussed, and decisions are made."
"What is clear to me is that if (signing Rashford) is considered the best decision from a sporting point of view, the money will be available to make it happen," Vilajoana said of the possibility of paying Rashford's clause.
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