A candidate to be the next Barcelona president says the club are "going to get a Harry Kane" if they don't have a striker like the England captain emerging from their academy.
Xavier Vilajoana, who has launched his bid to succeed Joan Laporta as Barca's figurehead, says his priority will be promoting talent from La Masia but was clear in his ambition when asked about reports linking Kane with a transfer from Bayern Munich.
"We have incredibly talented players at La Masia, but of course, if we don't have players, we will look elsewhere," Vilajoana told SportNews during an exclusive interview.
"I will always look for a player who understands Barca's DNA, not just a name. It's a dangerous thing to look for just a name, but someone who fits our style and culture."
When asked if Kane would fit that profile, he said: "If we don't have a Harry Kane inside [the club], we are going to get him. Why not?"
Vilajoana also says it is his hope that the club can play matches abroad, after plans to stage a LaLiga fixture with Villarreal in Miami this season were called off.
"The US market is a very big one. It's a market where we can do a lot of things together," he said.
"It's a big mistake [to cancel the Villarreal game in Miami]. I hope we can play again. Not only one match, but more than one."
In a wide-ranging interview, Vilajoana, who is a former Barca youth team player and director, criticised the reign of Laporta, who he says is "offering more of the same chaos" with his own re-election bid.
Laporta was Barca president between 2003 and 2010 and then re-elected in 2021.
"We have seen what four years of improvisation, short-term fixes and asset sales look like and it's put the club at risk," said Vilajoana. "Joan talks about the future, but after all this time, he still doesn't have a concrete plan or experience to execute it.
"I won't stand on the sidelines while others play with its future. My campaign is about restoring sporting excellence and financial sanity, rooted in La Masia and in our identity."
Vilajoana also outlined plans to collaborate with club legend Lionel Messi in the future.
The Argentina star's playing days look set to end in MLS, with Messi signing a contract extension with Inter Miami which takes him through the 2028 season in the States, but Vilajoana is keen the record goalscorer is reunited with Barcelona in some capacity.
Messi left Barcelona for Paris St-Germain in 2021 when Laporta announced the club could not afford a new contract for him.
"We want Messi involved in a way that feels natural. In a role that he will want and where he will feel he brings most value," said Vilajoana. "But we would do it with dignity.
"The way he was treated by Laporta was awful. I really hope a change in leadership can bring him home."
Speaking about the current Barcelona team, Vilajoana says the club's financial problems are inhibiting head coach Hansi Flick. Barca won a domestic treble last season but trail Real Madrid in LaLiga this term and lost 3-0 in the Champions League at Chelsea on Tuesday.
"Flick is a great professional with top credentials. It's obvious. But the club is putting him in a difficult position, a very difficult position, with very little stability around him," said Vilajoana.
"Until we fix the structural chaos, no coach will succeed long-term. That's on leadership. We don't have it now, at this moment."
Vilajoana - who is CEO at a construction company - has told SportNews he will carry out audits on the work being done on the Spotify Camp Nou's redevelopment and renegotiate contracts where necessary, with the project overrunning.
The Barcelona presidential elections will take place at some point between March and June 2026, with Laporta and Victor Font - who finished second in 2021 and has had backing from former Barca player and head coach Xavi - also among the candidates set to be in the running.
