Barcelona presidential candidate reveals he has already held talks with Harry Kane – and issues Marcus Rashford transfer warning

Harry Kane ‘would fit perfectly’ at Barcelona and exploratory talks have already taken place, according to club presidential candidate Xavier Vilajoana. 

Vilajoana is one of four candidates running in the upcoming election on March 15 and was bullish in discussing a transfer for the England and Bayern Munich forward. 

Kane, 32, is understood to have a release clause of £52million and could replace Robert Lewandowski, with the Polish striker’s contract expiring in the summer. 

‘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,’ Vilajoana told ESPN. 

He went on: ‘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.

Xavier Vilajoana says Kane would be the perfect fit and is exactly who the club need 

‘I also know that he likes Barcelona,’ he went on. ‘In fact, there are very few players who don’t like Barcelona. So it’s a matter of talking about it, obviously.’

Kane’s move from Tottenham to Bayern has been a massive success and his current deal with the German champions runs until 2027. 

His scoring record of 109 in 126 is an astonishing return but it remains to be seen whether he would be tempted by a new challenge in LaLiga or a return to the Premier League.

Vilajoana is vastly experienced and stands an outside chance of election, though Joan Laporta remains the front-runner. 

He was part of the squad as a player and before moving into the boardroom, where he served under Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu. 

If Vilajoana is elected, it could be bad news for England team-mate Marcus Rashford.

Barcelona have the option to make his loan move a permanent one at the end of the season for £26m and the player himself is understood to want that outcome. 

When asked about the possibility of triggering the clause, Vilajoana said: ‘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.

‘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.

Marcus Rashford (left) could join permanently in the summer but Vilajoana suggested that would not be his preference 

‘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.’

While Rashford has impressed for the Catalan side, he is not among Hansi Flick’s first XI when everyone is fit. 

No doubt he, like all Barcelona fans, will be keeping a close eye on the elections next month, when Vilajoana goes up against incumbent president Laporta, who remains a strong favourite, Victor Font and sports economist Marc Ciria.