Laporta admits there is no reason why Larsson should not end up in Catalonia and the Barca supremo insists money will be made available if coach Frank Rijkaard considers the Swede will improve his side.

He said: “It all depends on the coach. We’ve talked about Larsson and other very good players in the European and world market.

“And Barcelona are a very strong club financially so it’s not a question of money.

“Larsson is a very good player but we have very good players in his position and we are a very strong team.

“But it depends on whether the coach can incorporate him into the team.

“It doesn’t depend on the two games between the clubs. We know Larsson is a very strong footballer.”

Barcelona arrived in Glasgow for the first leg of the UEFA Cup showdown with Celtic and Laporta expects his side will have to contend with more than just the talismanic Larsson.

He said: “We’ve not been talking about one player, we’ve been talking about a very strong Celtic team and it will be a very competitive match.

“We know Celtic are a very good side but we trust in our team and we will try and do our best.

“But Celtic have won a lot of home games this season and it will be very difficult for us.”

Barcelona midfielder Philip Cocu is expecting a red-hot reception from the sell-out Parkhead crowd but the Dutch international insists the tie will still be alive for the return leg in Spain.

He said: “Celtic are a good team but their home advantage and the home crowd is their biggest threat to us.

“It will be a tough game but it’s about two matches, not one and the first game will not be decisive.

“I’m looking forward to it and you’ll just have to wait and see how we get on.”