Borussia Dortmund and Norway superstar set to spark the craziest transfer circus in years with some of the world's biggest clubs vying for position to acquire his services
by Craig Humpage
Football Writer, Sporticos
Published on Wednesday 14 April 2021
Erling Haaland's scoring exploits are turning heads in Europe at that's no surprise. The 20 year old is already a borderline unplayable goal scorer tearing up some of the most elite defences in the game. Last month he broke the record for scoring 20 UEFA Champions League goals in the least appearances, only 14. The next best is Harry Kane who required 24 games. The competition's all-time leading goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, needed 56 games to do it. He's also Dortmund's top scorer and third in the Bundesliga top scorers charts this season with 21 goals in 23 matches so far. The young man is quickly becoming an international star and seemingly has it all: pace, strength, awareness, movement, finishing and certainly confidence. He has confidence in abundance. He and Paris Saint Germain star Kylian Mbappe are set to have a Ronaldo/Messi esque rivalry over the next decade. The wonderkid has a release clause in his contract for £65 million which will be activated in summer 2022, but it's widely expected that several clubs will try to pay above the odds to secure his services from Borussia Dortmund this summer. There will be definitely be a lot of competition for his signature when he does move on. Haaland could seemingly go anywhere but what does the future hold for the Norwegian? Let the transfer saga commence.
Will he go to Manchester City, as his father Alf-Inge did?
Several of these links contain intrigue and stories, but among the favourites are Manchester City. His father played in the Premier League for most of his career turning out for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and finally Manchester City. He spent three years at the club where for all intents and purposes he finished his career. He was involved in an infamous rivalry with then Manchester United captain Roy Keane which culminated in the Irishman's horror tackle on Alf-Inge. It's been rumoured that Erling Haaland would never go to Manchested United because his family hate the club. Perhaps he would love to go and play for Man City, so he can really shove it in their faces? Tactically speaking he is not a "Pep player" but with his talent it wouldn't be hard to work him into any system. Furthermore, even if he isn't Guardiola's type, the Spaniard may not be there in a few years whereas the 20 year old has a very bright future in the game and could be an investment for the next 10 years. City are on the lookout for a signing to replace Argentine forward Kun Aguero, who is out of contract in the summer, and Norwegian wonderkid Haaland could be just the ticket for next season.
Could Erling Braut Haaland be on the way to Chelsea?
Another possible destination is Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have been playing Kai Havertz as a makeshift forward lately but that won't do in the long term. French striker Olivier Giroud is clearly not in Thomas Tuchel's plans and it's believed he will move on this summer. The London club also seem to be interested in Sergio Aguero who is set to leave Manchester City. For sure their German coach will push for at least one of them and the decision on who to pursue will go down to money - one option is basically free and the other will be hugely expensive. He could be hugely successful at Chelsea and London is a great place to live. They have an enviable squad depth, a fantastic young coach and Haaland would fit right in there.
A reunion with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United?
While the rumours of Erling Haaland's distaste for Manchester United make sense and cannot be discounted, they probably shouldn't be overblown either. There are a lot of upsides with the United link. First of all, coach Ole Gunnar Solksjaer worked with the young striker when he broke through at Molde and was there for a key part of his development. Erling Haaland can be sure that Ole will know how to get the best out of him. They are countrymen which again is a factor not to be underestimated. He is of course fluent in English - as almost all Nordics are - but no doubt being able to communicate one-on-one with his coach in his native language will be a plus. He says his best friend at Borussia Dortmund is Thomas Delaney. Why? Because he and the Dane can both speak Norwegian. Then there's the small matter of his agent Mino Raiola having a good relationship with the club, having brokered several big money deals with United in recent years including the signing of French midfielder Paul Pogba and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Mino apparently hates Pep Guardiola and the feeling is mutual, but there's no such animosity here, on the contrary. Based on his agent's relationships, United could be the team he ends up at.
Will he skip the Premier League and head for Spain or elsewhere?
While many expect Haaland's next step after Dortmund to be in England, the biggest clubs in the world are sniffing around him, European royalty no less. Barcelona and Real Madrid are of course linked and rumours are flying. His dad said that La Liga would be a "great league" for him. You can imagine why. He would be way less likely to get kicked around the park like he would in the tougher Premier League and he could be a flat track bully and rack up 50 goals a season at Barca or Madrid scoring at will against much lesser opposition. That being said, there's doubt over the financial situation of all the big clubs going into next season and that's especially the case at Real Madrid and Barcelona where some of the wage demands are insane and unsustainable during a pandemic. Can either of the big Spanish sides afford the eye watering fee he will demand? Juventus are also supposedly an outside shout but for similar reasons it could be tough. Bayern Munich would be an obvious choice as they are always in the market to poach a top quality Dortmund player, but the opportunity might come a few years too early for them, with Robert Lewandowski unlikely to be thrilled at the idea of sharing game time with Erling Haaland. There are rumours abound across the world right now but overall it has to be said that the Premier League is his most likely destination.
You can watch Erling Braut Haaland via live stream with Bet 365
You can watch Erling Haaland in all of Dortmund's league and cup fixtures completely free via live stream with Bet 365 on their website and mobile app. Just click the video icon next to the match of your choosing and you are away. As well as offering live coverage, Bet 365 also provide up-to-date stats so you can keep up with the action every step of the way. Terms and conditions apply.
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- Go to the Bundesliga tab
- Click on the match of your choosing at kick-off and start live streaming immediately
You will notice that every Bundesliga game has a small video icon next to it. This indicates that they are available for live streaming.
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