Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland is one of the most sought-after forwards in world football.
Top European clubs are chasing his signature, including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in the striker.
But it is the transfer battle between Real and Barca that has caught the attention of fans. El Clasico is one of the biggest rivalries in sport, and the hatred between the club’s supporters runs deep.
When Luis Figo moved directly from Barca to Real in 2002, the Portuguese winger shocked the world. On his return to the Nou Camp, he was pelted with missiles by furious supporters, and one fan even threw a pig’s head onto the field.
There was also the Alfredo Di Stefano saga in the 1950s. The striker found himself in a situation whereby he was allowed to play for both clubs after government intervention. Barcelona withdrew from the deal, Real signed him, and the rest is history. Di Stefano helped his new club to win each of the first five European Cups; it took their rivals until 1992 to win their first.
Spanish outlet Marca report that Barca president Joan Laporta has “nightmares” about the world’s latest prodigy, Haaland, moving to Real Madrid.
Read more: Why are Barcelona so desperate to sign Erling Haaland?
Gerard Pique advises Erling Haaland
Barcelona stalwart Gerard Pique, meanwhile, has offered the Norwegian striker a piece of advice that signals his own hopes for the 21-year-old’s next destination.
Read: Gerard Pique slams “toxic entourage” in powerful interview
Pique has been at his current club since 2008 and has played alongside some of the greatest players in the world. He has secured three Champions League trophies and won 27 trophies in all other domestic or continental competitions. The Spaniard knows what it is like to play with big stars.
Speaking to Ibai Llanos on Twitch (quotes as per AS), Pique had some words of advice for Barcelona’s key transfer target.
He said: “If I were Haaland and I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, I wouldn’t go to the same team as Kylian Mbappe.”
German outlet Bild have reported that Mbappe has agreed to join Real Madrid as a free agent when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires this summer. Pique’s comments, therefore, clearly signal that he believes Haaland should not join his club’s great rivals.
Fans react to Gerard Pique comments
Unsurprisingly, fans have mixed reactions to the comments made by Gerard Pique about Erling Haaland. Taking to the r/soccer subreddit, many gave their opinions on the words of the former Spain international, making fun of his Barcelona links.
One fan suggested he should go to Championship side Millwall and do battle with the likes of Tom Bradshaw and Oliver Burke for a place in the starting XI.
They said: “Pique is right. He shouldn’t go to a team with great players if he wants to win the Ballon d’Or. He should go to Millwall, they could do with a striker.”
There were plenty of other suggestions. A Blackburn Rovers fan said: “If I were Haaland and I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, I wouldn’t go to the same team as [Rovers top scorer] Ben Brereton Diaz.”
And another wrote: “If I were Haaland and I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, I would just get more Twitter followers than the other competitors.”
Another fan, however, sympathised with Pique over the prospect of facing three of the world’s most talented young players.
They said: “I don’t blame him for saying this – imagine being a 35-year-old Pique and seeing Vinicius, Haaland and Mbappe running at you.”
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