Several Champions League powerhouses are expected to enquire about a potential Erling Haaland transfer after the striker’s latest comments.
Haaland’s performance at Borussia Dortmund has made him one of the most sought-after players in the world. The Norwegian has scored 78 goals in his 77 games for the Dortmunders, including 15 in this Bundesliga season.
Unfortunately for Dortmund, Haaland is likely to leave the club this summer.
Whispers about the Norwegian’s departure from Dortmund started when he joined the club. Soon after his transfer in 2020, reports came out hinting at a potentially low selling clause in Haaland’s contract.
Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, and Bayern will all be putting offers on the table for the number nine.
Erling Haaland transfer: The Norwegian star has spoken
Although a move is unlikely to happen before the summer, things have started to heat up already. Aware of Haaland’s decision to leave in the summer, Borussia Dortmund have asked their star to begin considering potential suitors.
Speaking to Bild’s Jan Aage Fjortoft, Haaland has confirmed that his club have begun to apply pressure:
“Borussia Dortmund are now pushing me to make a decision about things… but I just want to play football. That probably means that I will soon have to get things started. I never spoke until now to respect the club.
“Dortmund have started to put lot of pressure on me. They want me to decide (my future) now. And so yes, things will happen now, even if I only wanted to focus on football and play football.”
Haaland’s comments haven’t exactly caught Dortmund’s board by surprise. In fact, the club’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, reacted calmly to the candid interview:
“He is a spontaneous person, a young lad. He’s allowed to do that. There is no problem with Erling. But he must also have some understanding for our situation. We can’t wait until the end of May.”
Borussia Dortmund need an answer soon
It is understandable for Watzke to demand transparency from Haaland. Despite their success in the past twelve years, Die Borussen are far from being an economic powerhouse. Selling Haaland won’t change that.
Although Haaland is one of the most valuable players in the world, BVB might not make that much money by selling him. The striker’s release clause is expected to be short of €90m, dozens of millions below his current market value.
Borussia Dortmund are famous for being a selling club, particularly within the Bundesliga. From Mario Gotze to Robert Lewandowski or Mats Hummels, the past ten years have seen a few BVB legends leave Dortmund for Munich.
Some of these moves were made for low fees. Lewandowski left Dortmund on a free transfer, and Götze only cost Bayern £31m.
Dortmund can’t afford to make the same mistake with Haaland. They need a maximum return for him – and most importantly, they need time to hunt down his replacement.
Featured image credit: Getty
