Vilajoana opens door to united candidacy for Barça presidency — and claims Kane contact has begun
Barça presidential hopeful Xavier Vilajoana says a joint candidacy with Font, Ciria or even Laporta isn't off the table, while revealing early Kane talks.
Xavier Vilajoana is not one for shutting doors. The Barcelona presidential pre-candidate held a press conference on Friday alongside directorial team member Jordi Codina, and by the end of it he’d managed to name-drop Harry Kane, pour cold water on Julián Álvarez, and suggest he’d happily sit down with basically anyone — including current president Joan Laporta — if it meant doing right by the club.
A united front? Don’t rule it out
The headline that’ll get the most traction in Barcelona’s political circles is Vilajoana’s openness to forming a joint candidacy with rival hopefuls Víctor Font and Marc Ciria. He even extended that olive branch to Laporta himself, which is either a bold diplomatic move or a very savvy bit of positioning — probably both.
His line was straightforward enough: he’s not obsessed with the presidency for its own sake, and any decision would have to be for the good of the club rather than personal gain. Whether any of the other candidates fancy a coalition is another matter entirely.
La Masia front and centre
On the sporting side, Vilajoana’s pitch is built around the academy. His vision:
- La Masia as a primary resource, not a fallback option when the transfer budget runs dry
- He reckons 90% of academy players have the potential to play for the first team
- Two new roles would be created: a Barça Atlètic coordinator and a La Masia technical director
It’s a romantic vision, and one that’ll go down well with a fanbase that’s grown tired of watching the club lurch from one financial crisis to the next while splashing cash on players who don’t fit.
The Kane situation
Right, let’s get to the bit everyone’s been talking about. After hinting yesterday that Harry Kane was on his radar, Vilajoana confirmed on Friday that preliminary contact has been made with the Bayern Munich striker — not by him personally, but by people who’d be part of his project.
His reasoning for Kane makes sense on paper: the lad’s a natural finisher, links play well, operates effectively in tight spaces, and — as Vilajoana put it — is a proper killer in front of goal. Ticks a lot of boxes for a Barça side that’s been crying out for a reliable No.9.
Obviously, all of this is contingent on Vilajoana actually winning the election, which is scheduled for 16 March, with any signings then targeting a 1 July start date. Bit of a leap of faith, that.
Julián Álvarez? Not at that price
On the subject of Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez — a name firmly on Barça’s radar — Vilajoana was cautious. He likes the player, thinks he could fit, but baulked at the reported price tag:
- He draws a parallel with Lewandowski — players need to deliver immediately
- Álvarez would be a “mix” option, but there are other profiles available
- €70 million is too rich for his blood right now, though he acknowledged a proper assessment of the club’s finances would only be possible once inside the building
Fair enough, really. Half the candidates running for this job are promising the earth without knowing what state the accounts are actually in.